I love Nina Ottosson!

(Drafted this post during her LS period last year. But no treats = no toys = no photos. Hence the delay.)

Nina Ottosson (which, by the way, is her real name) is a range of interactive toys. She believes that dogs require both mental and physical activity and has therefore developed these dog activity toys to stimulate the dog mentally. To be honest, I think I'm also having loads of fun and mental stimulation just by watching silly girl play!

01 / Dog Brick Plastic (Can't remember how much.)

My first Nina toy! It's very common and popular, and probably the easiest to get here in Singapore.

It's a level 2/3 on the website but personally I think it's a level 1. Silly girl got it so fast! =P The first few times I did it without the white blocks, then with the blocks but had food under them so silly girl would take them off. Within 10 times I was using the center blocks without any food underneath. She knew she had to get rid of the center ones before the sides would slide open. I had thought this could occupy her for a longer period. =\

I think it's a good beginner toy to start the dog on IQ toys.  

02 / Dog Tornado Plastic (~SGD 36.70)

Rated a level 2. It has a similar concept with the dog brick, but also slightly different. Same same but different. Hehe. Instead of sliding the covers open, silly girl now has to rotate the levels to reveal the treat. You can start without any white blocks but I used all 3 of them the very first time. I thought it would occupy her longer this way. Unfortunately, she was only stumped for a while, before she figured it out and began removing the blocks directly. *sigh* Oh and it was a little smaller than what I had expected, so bigger dogs may have a bit of problem. =X

03 / Dog Casino Plastic (~SGD 60.60)

I was anticipating this the most! It's a level 3 and I feel it's much harder than the rest because instead of simply pushing the white blocks away, silly girl has to pluck out the pins before the drawers would slide open. I had hoped it would provide her a higher level of mental stimulation, and it does!

It's probably a level 10 for her lmao. She's still can't remove the pins by herself but she can handle the drawers! Guess she needs to use more brain. Lol.

04 / Dog Treat Maze (free)

I won this one from a UK-based competition so I was pretty surprised and pleased they actually mailed it over! It works in a similar way as her Kong wobbler, just that there's a maze inside instead (that is, if you know how the Kong wobbler works), so it's slightly harder.

That's all! Silly girl goes mad when I take out any of these toys. Though I think she relates it to food instead of fun. One more thing I love about these toys are that they're easily washable. I think they have the wooden version but I wonder if it can tahan repeated washes. Hmmmm.

I really wish Nina Ottosson toys are more affordable and accessible. I bought mine from Amazon and it broke my wallet pretty badly, even though it's still about 10-20 bucks cheaper each than if I got it locally.

P/s. She also has the Kong wobbler and Kyjen kibble drop. Her toys are more expensive than mine. *sigh*

P/p/s. She's actually pretty scaredy cat and easily spooked. But when it comes to food, she drops all her defences. No matter how weird the thing feeding her is. Quite scary if some asshole decides to poison her. Tsk.

River Safari......finally!

Warning! Picture-heavy post.

So we've been to the Zoo, Bird Park, Night Safari, Underwater World, and SEA Aquarium. To add on to the list, we're finally here at River Safari! I remember being pretty excited when it was being built. but we never got round to it until now. And since we didn't have special plans for V-Day, here we are! Spreading the love to the fishes. And other stuff. =X

Headed off to the Amazon River Quest boat ride first. Had to pay additional $5 each for this, which honestly, wasn't exactly worth it. Of the 10+ different species of animals there, we saw less than half of that. The ride was barely 10 minutes and under the scorching sun, not exactly fun.

The River Safari Cruise was up next. Also $5 each extra. Would recommend taking this first before the Amazon ride so you don't have to walk one big round again. (Hard to explain, but trust me.) I didn't want this initially but surprisingly it was more worth it.

Panda exhibit next! Came across the golden pheasant first. The one in front is male, the one at the back is female.

Next are the red pandas! My absolute favorite! They're like the cutest thing on earth, apart from Popo. Lol. Spammed the shutter button here. I wanna be the zookeeper! >.<

SSD's absolute favorite next. Kai Kai and Jia Jia! They were eating the first time we went, and sleeping the second. It's not hard to guess which is Kai Kai and Jia Jia, judging by the way they eat. Lol.

Couldn't resist getting this cute set of salt/pepper shakers for our new house next year! XD

Tried the 'famous' panda paos. Yellow eyes for chocolate, white eyes for red bean. The latter tastes nicer though.

Here are the 6 rivers. We went against the usual flow though. And we went through it twice. Lol. 

I can't remember which is which so I'll just post a random compilation. You figure out yourself okay?

We took flowers too! Actually just for practice purposes.

Then went for dinner at Ichiban.

And that sums up our V-Day. To be honest, River Safari was a little disappointing. We went for the sake of going and......I really wouldn't recommend you to go. =X

How to make bone broth

I've long heard about bone broth but as it involves cooking for at least 20-24 hours, it never appealed to me. Until recently, I came across the article again and found out it was actually very nutritious and beneficial, especially for dogs like mine.

Here are some of the benefits.

01/ It's good for joints.

Bone broth contains super amazing amounts of glucosamine. It’s also packed with other joint protecting compounds like chondroitin and hyaluronic acid. These glycosaminoglycans are resistant to digestion and are absorbed in their intact form. They act like hormones, stimulating cells called fibroblasts, which lay down collagen in the joints, tendons, ligaments, and even the arteries.

02/ It helps the liver detox.

The liver is the master organ of detoxification. The dog’s liver is under a lot of stress daily as the poor dog consumes commercial foods with toxic and synthetic ingredients, and/or suffers through toxic dewormers, flea and tick preventives, drugs, antibiotics, vaccines and more.

The liver's capacity to detoxify is limited by the availability of the amino acid glycine. Bone broth has tons of that!

03/ It promotes a healthy gut.

The lining of the intestines contains millions of tiny holes that allow the passage of digested nutrients to enter the body. Stress, poor diet and bacterial overgrowth can cause more holes to open or to become bigger, allowing things to pass through that aren't meant to. Such as undigested food and toxins. The body sees these as foreign invaders and start to attack them. This is how allergies and food sensitivities develop.

Bone broth is loaded with a gooey substance that can plug up those leaky holes: gelatin!

Plug it up! This is exactly what I was hoping to achieve. *prays hard*

04/ It's great nutrition for sick dogs.

When there is plenty of gelatin in the diet, the body’s need for protein from meat sources can be reduced by as much as fifty percent! It is an excellent source of important minerals and can bolster the immune system.

It is also loaded with glycine (as mentioned above), which aids digestion by helping to regulate the synthesis of bile salts and secretion of gastric acid.

(Credit: Dogs Naturally)

So how do you make bone broth? Same as any other Chinese soup - dump all the ingredients in and boil. Lol.

Step 1. I used my mum's slow cooker so I could have it cook for at least 20 hours. She's done that before so I suppose it's safer than using the stove. Underestimated the size of the pot so I bought too many bones. Made a full pot instead of a trial run. =X

Step 2. I used lots of chicken feet, a couple of chicken bones, plus an extra black chicken neck and a pork rib which I had bought to let Popo try but freaked out in the end. Ahem. Best to use raw bones with lots of cartilage!

Step 3. I added some carrots and wolfberries. Er. Just because.

Step 4. Add vinegar. It helps to draw out the minerals from the bones. I used Braggs apple cider vinegar. No idea what's the correct amount but I added 4 tablespoons cos it looked like quite a lot of bone.

Step 5. Add water. You're supposed to add just enough to cover everything but obviously here it's barely enough. Oops.

Step 6. I turned it on High for an hour, before switching to Low for the rest of it.

You can see how the broth progresses.

Mashed up all the bones after taking the last pic and let it simmer for a few more hours. Here's the final result! (A few trays are already in the freezer, hence the quantity.)

Make sure to skim the oil off and remove all the bones! If they're soft enough I think you can blend them into a bone smoothie, but mine went in the trash. Lol. The broth all went into the freezer in batches. This pot, surprisingly, can probably last my silly girl only 1 to 1.5 months. If you add less bones and more water obviously you can make more to last longer. =)

I tasted it myself by the way. It was surprisingly bland and tasteless, despite the carrots and wolfberries. (DO NOT ADD SALT OR MSG!) Probably because chicken feet isn't really that sweet? Maybe if you use pork ribs it'll become a doggy version of bak kut teh lmao. 

Silly girl's day out!

First stop - off to the vets!

It's been 1.5 months since I started her on the digestive enzymes for her loose stool problem. It has more or less solved the issue, except for a few times when she ate something that didn't agree with her tummy. It's been a huge roller coaster ride and I'm still doing trial and error to see what she can and cannot take. So far I know she can't take dehydrated treats and too much egg. A few days ago I accidentally overfed too much lamb and she's had a couple of loose stools too. Sigh.

Anyway, vet checkup. I went back to Dr Ling this time and she was pretty concerned how my girl was doing. (After all, I was there 3 times for this issue previously.) Felt quite bad to switch from Dr. Christine to Dr. Ling, but she's still my favorite vet so far lol. Told her about the enzymes and unfortunately, there's no test for EPI locally. But she'll check it out for me. She also said it MAY not be EPI; could be simply a lack of enzymes. *shrugs*

Physical check was okay, except for her teeth. Guess I need to start brushing everyday now. Blood test results were normal. Weight was okay. Basically I just had to continue whatever I'm doing now. Nothing to worry about as of now. Phew!

Side note, while waiting for the blood test results, a muzzled Samoyed came in and the whole area was filled with the stench of doggy odour. Not sure if it's normal for it or there's something terribly wrong with the poor thing, but it was horrendous. I immediately stuck my face into Popo. Even without a bath for 2 weeks, she still smelt good! >.<

Then we headed to Marina Barrage! Exceptionally lots of people having picnics and flying kites. Quite a lot seemed interested in silly girl cos she's just too pretty! *haolian* XD

 

And the Samsung NX Mini now belongs to silly girl! Much better at taking photos of her than my phone or Olympus EP2. ^^

Can't wait for our next outing!

Fun at East Coast Park

It's been ages since I last bought the silly girl out (besides going to the vet). So 2 weeks ago, I decided to bring her to East Coast Park! And a grooming session after that, so I was all prepared to get her wet and dirty. 

East Coast Park

Look at that face! She must have known we're not going to the vet. XD

We wanted to go to Tanjong Beach at Sentosa actually. But SSD complained it was too far, so we had to settle for ECP. Didn't dare to let her off leash so I suppose she couldn't have a lot of fun running around. Still, it's her second time on grass (sorry I have tick-phobia) so I guess that's a compromise? Lol.

Brought her down to the beach and tried to lead her into the water. She wanted to follow me but was freaked out by the waves. So sad. I'm hoping she can one day learn to play and enjoy herself in water but judging by the frequency I can bring her out, I guess I can only hope for it. *sigh*

We rented a double bike too! It was surprisingly affordable at $15 for 2 hours. Got an additional big basket ($2) for the silly girl. It fit quite snugly but it was tilted at an angle so she was clinging on for dear life in an awkward position. Looked pretty uncomfortable I must say. She's probably traumatized for life lol. No more cycling then!

Her face when we stopped for a rest.

Not very pleased eh? =X Here we are waiting for SSD to return the bike. It was so cooling and comfortable with the sea breeze; she almost fell asleep. ^^ (You can see she only got her paws wet lmao.)

Grooming @ Furbabies

Dropped her off for a basic grooming and milk spa session at Furbabies! One, because it was nearby. Two, because it was more affordable. And three, because I wanted to see Max the standard poodle! =D Still as cute as ever.

Went off to Nex for dinner and went back to pick her up. Only took about an hour! Nice. And she smelt absolutely wonderful. I don't know what magic Laureen used, but it's been 2 weeks and her fur is still as lovely. Still smells so nice too! Almost didn't feel like bathing her. =X

Hopefully we'll get another outing and/or spa session before CNY. *cross paws*

Tampopo guestblogs!

Just kidding. Just wanna see how it's like blogging from someone else. Lol. Here goes.

So if you've been following me (and Mama) on Instagram, you would have known we have been battling my diarrhea / soft poop / loose stool for 4 months now. Mama has brought me to 3 different vets, 5 times already. And still nobody knows exactly what's wrong with me. Poor Mama and her wallet.

Let's start from the beginning. Everyone knows I'm on a raw diet right? Mama started me on it in April last year, and I have done nothing but thrive on it. Better balanced energy, less doggy odour, eyes bright and alert, coat soft and shiny. Teeth isn't better but it could be a small-dog problem. *shrugs* Up till July this year, I had a good rotation of chicken, pork, beef, lamb, fish and venison, along with necks, feet, liver and kidney. It's much more expensive than the TOTW kibbles she can get at cost price, but Mama feels that raw is the best diet. She also gives me other stuff like coconut oil, ACV (major yucks), B-complex, eggs, and fish oil. 

And then suddenly, shit happened. One night I gave her perfect poop, and the next morning, diarrhea. The first couple of days were the worst, but still the soft stools lasted a week before Mama brought me to the vet. She gave probiotics and a dewormer because Mama didn't like antibiotics. Mama also didn't like the canned food the vet made us try. I rejected it too! 

Anyway, it didn't get better. Mama brought me back again and was given antibiotics this time. I got better, but then it came back again when we stopped the meds. So Mama brought me back for the third time. We did 2 blood tests and a fecal test. Apparently I had a bacteria overload. I had to be on another round of antibiotics, as well as another dewormer. I think Mama was really mad at the vet for asking us to stop the raw diet, and saying it was the bacteria in the raw meat that caused the problem. 

So when I still didn't get better after the antibiotics, Mama brought me to another vet for a fourth visit. She didn't ask Mama to stop the raw diet, but to try the elimination diet instead. She also did another fecal test and gave us antibiotics again. By then I was already getting super sick of Mama squirting the meds into my mouth. Tasted yucky!

I still didn't get better! Mama had to take leave from work cos I was messing myself and the house up all the time. =( And then Mama remembered that the second vet mentioned something about inflammation. So she started to include more anti-inflammatory foods like fish, fish oil, and turmeric. After about a week, I got better overnight. Lol me is weird. Poop schedule returned to normal and poops were quite firm too. It gave Mama a peace of mind to leave for her Bangkok trip.

Unfortunately, Mama became too impatient and started adding more variety into my diet again. Initially my poops were still okay, but now it's on and off firm/soft/loose/watery. Bad Mama.

So she brought me to another vet, for the fifth time! This one was recommended on Instagram as a holistic/homeopathic vet. Mama had high hopes even though it looked expensive. I was examined by 2 vets and a vet assistant, all looking younger than Mama. (Maybe Mama's just old lah.) Mama doesn't really trust them though, especially when they said Mama's diet for me was imbalanced. 

They said Mama should have given me more rice, fruits and veggies, and stick to one protein instead of having a variety. She made Mama buy this Addiction prescription diet, and some meds to stop the loose poop. Mama wasn't pleased I think. But still she started me on the prescription diet. Stupid la Mama. 

They also made me undergo this ultrascan thingy. Flipped me belly up and applied this cold cold liquid. Was done by an older ang mo vet, and Mama seems quite happy talking to her. I think it's because she said that I don't have any tumors, infection, or inflammation inside. Got nothing wrong with me leh! So the vet asked Mama to make appointment for don't know what bio-resonance allergy test. I heard Mama complaining to Papa that this vet visit cost her $400, so I don't think I'll be doing that allergy test anytime soon.

When Mama came home, she starting posting about my problem online, and someone said I might have Giardia (a parasite not caused by raw food) instead of it being food-related. So now Mama is confused. She don't know who to believe! Anyway I think she contacted a fourth vet who is confirmed homeopathic. Let's see what he says. I think both Mama and me also hope that it's Giardia. At least it can then be cured by special dewormers. But if it's really food-related then Mama will be so disappointed and demoralized.

I don't think it's Mama's fault though. I really do enjoy raw meat better than anything else and it's a fact that I have improved on the raw diet. I don't like kibbles, canned food or mashed potato prescription diets either!

Please can anyone help us? T_T

Update 18/11: The potato-based prescription diet made me sick and bloated. Mama stayed up the whole night watching me throw up water, burp and fart. We only manage to get some sleep at 7am. Mama's pretty pissed with the vet. >_<

Happy Mooncake Festival

I think I've been pretty generous this year with silly girl's special treats. After her Valentine cookies from Pawlicious, Barkery pupcake/cake experience at our first Papillon gathering, I then got her her own birthday mini pupcakes from Feed My Paws. And this Mooncake Festival, I got her mooncakes too! Hehe.

So, I bought the mooncakes from Feed My Paws again. I got the 'snowskin' Pinky Tato, which has sweet potato filling, and the normal baked grain-free Beefy Cheese, which has...well, beef and cheese filling. Lol.

To be very honest, they were a little smaller than expected. But they were cute. Especially the Pinky Tato! Cutting it open, it looked absolutely like a real mooncake! Was so pretty I stole 1/4 of it. It didn't appeal much to me, being rather bland and tasteless, though I suppose it means there are no added flavorings or stuff. All natural! Silly girl loved it! Kept pawing for more. XD But the 'snowskin' kinda stuck to her teeth after that, so make sure to brush!

I gave her the beef one the next day. It was....more crumbly and messy. Not sure if I should have heated it up first. Had to feed it in her bowl. It didnt look like a mooncake, but silly girl definitely preferred this one more. She couldn't keep still at all, which explains why there's no photos of her for this. 

Can't wait for her to fully recover so I can buy more treats for her! =)

My disappointing Pup Post experience

So in April, I had signed up for the Pup Post, a bi-monthly surprise box. If you've heard of Vanity Trove, Bella Box or Black Box etc, the Pup Post is something like that. But for dogs. I signed up after seeing the many positive reviews and the items inside the April box really attracted me. I thought it was really worth it!

Two months later, it was finally my turn. And it got off to a bad start. According to them, the boxes were sent out every 15th of the month. When I didn't receive it more than a week later, I checked with them, who in turn checked with Stinkpost. They got back to me on the 27th, that the parcel was undelivered due to a wrong address. Technically, it was my fault (wtf was I thinking?! *slaps self*), but if Stinkpost had called, the problem would have been solved. Right there and then.

I then called Stinkpost, and was informed that they tried to deliver unsuccessfully on the 17th, and was sitting at the Paya Lebar office since then. To retrieve it, I had to drop by Paya Lebar during office hours (not that bad since I work nearby), and pay $21.40 to get it back. Like, seriously? You have to jump at every chance to squeeze every bit of money out of us? And they actually keep it for 10 days only, before it gets sent back to the sender. *exasperated*

Sigh. I wish people would stop using Stinkpost. They suck! I haven't had any problems with other couriers. Like the other time, the courier guy called me when no one was at home to receive my Black Box. I told him to just put it behind the shoe rack. He actually made the effort to hide it, so well that even I myself couldn't find it. You think Stinkpost will do that? Eat shit please. Yes I admit it's my fault for giving the wrong address, but a simple call could have solved everything isn't it? Tsk.

Anyway it's September now. And I have yet to receive both the June, and the August box. I believe they sent it to the wrong address again, even though they said they would update the database. That's $90! Down the drain if for whatever reason I do not receive the boxes. Last week they did offer to refund me the June box but no sound no picture as of today. I have since cancelled the subscription. Very disappointed customer is me. Boo.

15 fun facts you probably don't know about Tampopo

Lol I'm feeling bored at work so I shall attempt to do this.

1. Popo is adopted! From who I shan't publicize, but close friends know. 
2. She's a pedigree Papillon.
3. She was imported from Japan. 
4. She has an official show name - XX Ring Leader. I cannot reveal "XX" because then everyone will know where she came from. No, it's not Xiaxue lmao. 
5. She's a mommy. 
6. Tampopo means dandelion (蒲公英) in Japanese. Not the damned ramen.
7. She shares the same birth day and month as my mum. Obviously not the year.
8. She has a sensitive butt that doesn't like to be patted by other people. 
9. She's a fussy complain queen. She doesn't look like it I know. I've given up trying to please her.
10. She knows I think she's a bitch but she still loves me. Lol!
11. (According to my mum) She gets embarrassed when she mistakes someone else as me coming home. Cute.
12. She's raw fed. Hahaha everyone knows this!
13. She doesn't like taking photos. But do I care? :P
14. She doesn't like being carried. Or put in a bag. Sometimes got no choice. =/
15. She doesn't like interacting with other dogs, but is okay with other Papillons.

 That's all~! Lol I had wanted to do 20, but couldn't think of any more. =P

C.U. @ Scape

It's another day out for Popo yesterday! We headed down to Scape for the Clubpets event. Supposed to head down today with SSD, but I seriously dislike going out on Sundays, so I went down with Rita (and her poodle Pebbles) instead. :)

We only hung out at the air-conditioned white tent, which was super small and only had 10 or so booths. Was feeling utterly disappointed. But I remembered seeing a map with lots of booths, so I think we didn't explore enough. What a waste! >.< Anyway, we spent about an hour or so there, majority of the time we were actually sitting on the steps outside talking. Hais.

Here's what we got.

• Happytails Dry Dog Instant Clean - This one I bought. My second bottle already. I use this to clean her feet everytime we come back from walkies. 
• #1 All Systems Ear So Fresh - Might give this a try. *shrugs*
• Nutripe Lamb & Green Lamb Tripe - Might let her try this since it's so hard to get fresh tripe here in Singapore. I still don't like preserved food though. 
• Taste of the Wild Wetlands Canine Formula - She was on TOTW Pacific Salmon when she first came to me. Gonna give this away though.
• Nutra Gold Duck & Sweet Potato - Giving this away too. 
• Vitakraft Turkey Soft-Snack - I don't really like Vitakraft, but it claims to be 96% pure meat, so I might just give it a try. Expiring soon though. Tsk!
• Orijen Tundra Freeze Dried treats - Orijen is one of the better brands so I'm definitely feeding this.

And the free towel too. Lol. I'm feeling quite frustrated now cos I've missed out a lot of the booths. WHY DIDN'T I EXPLORE MORE?! Sobs. The only consolation is that my main goal of going there was to get the Happytails spray, which I did. So mission accomplished. Lol.

I guess pet events like this aren't really for me. I mean, I don't need kibbles, treats, clothes, accessories, or grooming stuff. And she hardly spoils her toys so I don't have to buy them very often. I like free stuff (of course, who doesn't), but treats are still commercial ones and I prefer dehydrated. She also has her own set of grooming products which I don't wish to change. And they don't really give out toys as goodie bags right?

The only good thing would be to allow Popo to interact with other dogs. Quite proud of her today. She didn't tremble and when I put her on leash (cos have to use her bag to hold those freebies), she happily went smelling butts. Didn't anyhow pee or poo and embarrass me too. And and and! She got a lot of compliments! Like "so pretty!" and "so cute!". There was even one guy who said touching her was like touching silk! *proud mama*

Oh wells. Till the next event! =)

Popo's day out at Marina Barrage and Vivocity

Last Saturday we made an impromptu decision to bring the girl out. First stop - post office to collect my Sample Store parcels. It was an annoying 40-minute wait. I really think courier companies should switch to delivering at night and on weekends. How many people actually have someone at home all the time to receive stuff? Tsk.

Next stop, Marina Barrage again! Dabao-ed lunch from the cafe downstairs. Our second time, and the food was not bad really. :) Oh and a Malay family asked to take a photo of Popo lol. For a moment I felt like some superstar's manager. :P

Anyway, it was a super hot day and there was some event going on. There were groups of kids playing games downstairs and the rooftop was occupied by some kind of competition. The larger side was blocked off which resulted in overcrowding of the other, smaller side. Thankfully we managed to get an area in the shade but it was right beside the entrance, so...human traffic was terrible. People stood around and blocked the wind. @_@ And hot me = pissed off me.

And to make things worse, a group of 3 young girls came crowding around us wanting to pet Popo. I don't like children, but normally I oblige. In this case, it REALLY ticked me off because they kept holding their hand out for Popo to lick. She's a licker so if you put your hand there, she WILL lick it. And that's something I hate. Who knows what crap stuff you touched? What if it was something poisonous to her? So I said loudly (many times), "NO, don't!" And....they continued stuffing their hands in her face for her to lick. Seriously, fuck you. No I don't care how young and ignorant you all are. Fuck. You.

Le sigh. We left after a while and headed to Vivocity. Lucky I thought to bring along her bag. Or...perhaps I planned it. LOL. Definitely felt more confident carrying her around this time. Also because she was being an absolute darling by resting quietly with just her head poking out. Maybe it's because we got a couple of cooling pads from Daiso for her. Either she's too tired or she's more comfy with the pads.

We tried to enter Giant (again), from the second floor this time, but unfortunately I spotted the No Pets sign at the entrance. Funny we didn't get chased out the previous time. We entered Cold Storage to get some sushi for dinner. Didn't see any signs although I did notice a Malay couple who kept turning around and pointing to my bag of Popo. No idea if friendly or not; I sped to the counter.

Had dinner at the rooftop before heading home. And conking out. Lol.

Bunday party at Happy 3 Bites Cafe

I was invited to my very first "Bunday" party last Saturday. Yep you guessed it. Bunday = bunny's birthday. I'm not a bunny owner nor do I know the owners personally so obviously we (my AC partner Eze and I) were invited because we previously did AC for them.
 

Anyway, here's Rizzo. Managed to sneak a couple of pics. That little bandana looks super cute on him eh? :)

Some of the rabbits were hopping around freely in the fenced-up area while others were just nua-ing in their owners' arms. Quite an interesting experience. Except for the hair that was flying around and making my face and eyes itch lol. Think some bunny was shedding. Oops.

It was held at Happy 3 Bites Cafe, near Outram. Which was super duper far and inconvenient for me. Quite a pity cos the food was good and affordable. I had their shrooms aglio and IT WAS SO YUMMY! Lots of juicy mushrooms and garlic! I like my aglio with lots of garlic hehe. I later had their chocolate waffle and their rainbow (birthday) cake. Not bad too! I liked the chocolate in between those rainbow slices. And...that's our goodie bag. With the cute mini macaroons. ^^

And as expected, we had to do some AC (animal communication) sessions too. Quite stressful for me as I've never done it in 'public' before. Thankfully I managed to get some accurate readings in the first session, though it all went haywire after the cake-cutting. Either I have to work on my concentration skills, or I can only do AC when my mind isn't preoccupied. Le sigh.

Popo's 5th birthday "celebration"

Today is Popo's birthday! She's 5 years old already. *sad face* I hope she still doesn't look her age. =|

2 weeks ago, I brought her out for an early celebration cos we had to celebrate my mum's birthday last weekend. Spent $200 in just one day so for the next few weeks we'll be staying at home LMAO.

1st stop : Petopia

I must be the most kiasu pawrent ever. Contacted them more than a month ago to ask about the various spa options. They only take reservations up to a month before so on 16 April I chop chop made the appointment lol. Decided on a Carbonic Soda and an Ayurveda Herb Pack with Far Infra Red session, which I was told was their most relaxing spa. Got her nails and paw pads trimmed as well.

Here's her 'enjoying' her soda spa. It looks pretty relaxing to me but I suppose she must be freaking out haha. My timid silly girl. <3

Didn't manage to snap the herb pack spa but I sure hope she got to relax and enjoy it. I know the staff took photos with their camera and I was hoping they'll post it on Facebook so I can save it. But...oh wells.

She came back to me all soft and smelling absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, to be honest, I would reconsider returning. Not their issue I suppose, but I was abit concerned when the skin on Popo's tail became obviously reddish. It looked kinda irritated too. However, I do know that Popo's skin always gets a little more reddish when she doesn't use her own shampoo. I suppose that's the case here too. And I think I did a better job at blow-drying her tail. Tsk. Her nails weren't trimmed as short as I would have liked them to be, and there was a huge mat at her underbelly which I had to cut out myself. Paw pads are pretty though, and surprisingly her tear stains were lightened. But I guess it's gonna be a yearly thing for her.

2nd stop : Jalan Besar Pet Carnival

It was held at City Square and we made it just in time to collect their goodie bags. Thanks to the very nice lady who informed us about it. It was quite a small area, and super hot and crowded. I didn't need any treats/toys/accessories/clothes/food or whatsoever, so we just went around collecting the freebies. Yes I admit I gian beng. =|

The whole array of stuff we got! I was trying to sort out those I wanted. And realized how pretty photos turn out under natural sunlight. ^^

My favorite items - K9 Natural samples! Was contemplating to purchase their lamb tripe too but overspent this month already. Accurate Tick & Flea Spray. I try to go as natural as possible, so I'm not gonna spray this on her. It's going on her leash/harness, under her mattress, and on top of her house. Still some contact but not as much. =) Breathfix. This was one of my options while battling her bad breath issue. It looked a bit too much for her, and true enough, there were bits of green in her poop. Freaked me out at first. Not gonna buy this after all. Furrific Grooming Powder. I suppose it'll be great to freshen up mid-week though I haven't used it yet. Gave the rest away.

3rd stop : Happenstance Cafe

New dog cafe! That very afternoon I found out it was opened by a friend's friend lol. Thumbs up for the food! Especially the girl's dory fish. Definitely ordering that again the next time. My pasta...on the other hand...wasn't very nice. Only have myself to blame since it was "create your own pasta". Lesson learnt - don't be greedy and order 2 types of cheese. And eat it while it's hot. XD No photos cos I was too paiseh to take. LOL.

Popo's socializing still isn't very good though. She mostly sat beside me and watched the other dogs play. She still can't tolerate butt-sniffing and humping so I suppose I should have started with smaller and quieter dogs. Oops!

And we saw Max the standard poodle! Saw him earlier at the carnival too. Managed to get a quick shot with him amongst all the barking and humping and photobombs lmao. Awkward distance between them though. =X And he looks so huge beside Popo!

Happenstance is much more wallet-friendly (we paid $80+ for 5 pax and Popo) so I so wanna go back again!

And earlier on we had another celebration for her again. Bought mini 'princess' pupcakes from Feed My Paws. Ordered last minute on Tuesday afternoon and so glad I was able to collect them the next evening. They're grain-free organic salmon pupcakes; hopefully they don't make her as uncomfortable as the last time she had cake.

Such pretty color! <3

And that sums up Popo's 5th birthday "celebration". Special thanks to SSD for being Popo's chauffeur that day (although actually he's the chauffeur every time we drive lol). <3

Wanted: Participants for Animal Communication practice

Lol never thought I'll be posting something like this on my blog. I'll probably get more feedback if I used Facebook but not sure how many genuinely want to help me. So, let's try this platform first.

I took the foundation level of animal communication last weekend, and I am now looking for participants (dogs or cats only) to help me practise. Even though I took this workshop so I could speak to Popo, I do realize and agree that it is more difficult to practise on your own pet because you already know him/her very well.

So what is animal communication? In simple terms, speaking to your pet. It's not verbal commands nor interpreting your pet's behavior. I'm not an animal behaviorist. I do not need to touch or see your pet in person. I just....connect. Or try to. Lol.

It is most important to understand that I am only a beginner, and I make mistakes. I don't get connected always, nor do I get all questions correct. That's why practice is important and I thank the people who truly want to help me improve.

Requirements:
♥ You must be the legal owner of the dog/cat.
♥ You must allow me to talk to your pet.
♥ No other animal communicators are speaking to him/her.
♥ The owner (you!) must not be too critical nor give negative comments. For a selfish but practical reason, it affects my confidence and that's not helping me improve. No need to lie either. Just tell me nicely that the answer doesn't seem to be what it is. =P
♥ You must not blame your pet for whatever he/she tells me. Please please don't.

How:
♥ A photo of your dog/cat's face. The butt might work but I'd rather not.
♥ Name of pet
♥ Questions. Maximum 5 please. Ask simple straightforward questions like favorite toy or food. Don't expect them to understand questions like "do you want to be sterilized?" -_- (Some animals don't even know if they're male or female.)
♥ Email or Facebook message me.

Disclaimer:
♥ I may not be able to connect. But I will keep trying.
♥ I make mistakes. Be gentle with your words. :)
♥ It is possible that your pet does not want to talk to me. I'm not going to force.
♥ I supposedly have an affinity with cats but I find that I work better with dogs. Nevertheless, let me try.
♥ I prefer not to connect with deceased pets. Not yet.

So if you are willing to help me out here, or know anyone who does, please do contact me. TIA! :)

First visit to VivoCity

Yesterday we brought Popo to VivoCity for the first time! Have been procrastinating for several months. For those of you wanting to bring your pets there too, it is allowed! I had in fact emailed the management some time back, and was told that pets are allowed in VivoCity as long as they do not touch the floor. Here's their official response:

Although however, during our conversation she did mention that the pet has to be in a bag and not hand-carried. And I would have to "try to hide it". Defeated the purpose of being pet-friendly, but since it wasn't in the official reply, I didn't bother trying to hide her. 

I also brought up the topic of a friend getting chased out by the security guard, and she mentioned that sometimes the guards have to "do something" if a non-dog lover complains about seeing a dog there. I think it's really unfair. Since it's pet-friendly, we have a right to be there too. So to all non dog lovers, keep your ass out of VivoCity.

Anyway, we did enter via Lobby G (just because we found a lot outside the lobby) and went straight up to Pet Safari. Popo's head was sticking out of her bag and many people saw her. I would say I saw more smiles than frowns. =)

Explored Pet Safari with ease. And got super tempted to get a stroller. No I didn't, but I WILL have one. Someday.

Daiso isn't pet-friendly (got sign at the entrance). Just so you know. So we headed downstairs. Her head was still out by the way. We went into Challenger. The staff saw her. No problem. Went into this shop with small boxes. Also no problem. Samsung and Apple too. We did make it a point to look for 'No Pets' signs before entering though.

We didn't explore much cos first, the crowd was giving me a headache. Second, Popo was heavy. Third, it was dinnertime and we were hungry. I had also forgotten to bring water out for her. So guess where we went? GIANT! Yes the supermarket!

Was quite apprehensive although we couldn't see a 'No Pets' sign. But the staff saw her and didn't say anything. People saw her and didn't complain. We even went to the food sections! Wish we went earlier so we could have more time to shop around. Boo.

I don't expect the restaurants to be pet-friendly, so we just dabao-ed out to the Boardwalk. There was a bazaar there, and very crowded. Let Popo out to walk and I would say she got quite some attention. All positive the way I see it. Lol. She saw the sunset for the first time (I think) too.

Singapore needs to be more pet-friendly. Having a pet is already so expensive, it would certainly help if we weren't restricted to expensive pet cafes and pet taxis. It means a lot to have our pets out spending the day with us you know? Tsk.

Popo's raw menu =)

So, I thought it'll be fun to document and show you guys Popo's menu for a week. But do note, she has been on raw for almost a year already, and can take a larger variety of meat. If you're just starting out, best to start with just one protein and add on one by one. Organs come much later.

I don't follow the same menu every week. It wouldn't be easy to do so too, since I randomly pack the meat and randomly take them out. If you get what I mean. I put together her meal based on weight. Most people would tell you to feed 2-3% of the dog's weight, but that's just a guide. Once you know your dog, you can adjust it accordingly. Popo currently weighs 2.7kg, and takes about 95-100g of food daily to maintain her weight. That's about 3.7%. I have to exercise her regularly though; if not she'll starting putting on weight.

If you don't know, the standard ratio is 80-10-5-5. 80% of meat, 10% of bone, 5% of liver, and 5% of some other organ. Again, that's just a guide. Popo takes about 75% of meat, 15% of bone, 4% of liver, and 5% of kidney. The remaining 1% goes to the freeze-dried deer liver treats she gets. It's not difficult to monitor; I've done up an excel sheet and I just have to input her daily meal. Sounds tedious? Sorry I think it's fun. ^^

Every dog is different so don't just follow blindly. Here goes!

Day 1

Day 2 

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

There you go, all 7 days! :)

I think I'm a little in between PMR and BARF, cos I know most PMR people don't chop the meat so small. But Popo's a gulper and she'd try to swallow it whole. Rather than see her choke and bring it back up, I'd rather do the job for her. She gets her chewing exercise from the bones. Having said that, I realized that she has also learnt to eat slowly and chomp as compared to when she first came. I happy! Lol.

Recently I came to realize how controversial this food topic is; had a little debate with one of the old members of the dog industry. It didn't exactly end off very well, but I guess haters are always gonna hate. It's really up to the individual whether to believe in raw feeding or not. 

For me, 'fresh' raw meat for a carnivore makes more sense than overly-processed bits of i-don't-know-what. You?