Pet Insurance For Your Family Pet

Having grown up with family pets from a young age, I know first-hand how they just become one of the family. Of course pet health is something that we have always taken really seriously, when one of your own are under the weather for any reason, you do all that you can to ensure that they make a speedy recovery.

We brought Tigger into our family fold last year, and through his mischievous ways and his cheeky disposition he quickly got his paws under the table. Leo was infatuated and loved playing with his playful kitty, dangling toys and running around the house with a growing Tigger close at his heels. It was so lovely watching that bond develop between Leo and his new friend, and although I always kept an eye on them when they played for the most part they were really good together.

Tigger is a Bengal Cat with beautiful markings, and just to look at him you would think he was a wild cat in very close relation to a leopard. In reality he is, 5 generations ago a short haired moggy was mated with an Asian leopard Cat… Thus resulting in the Bengal breed you see today. Bengals are renowned for their mischievous ways and larger than life personalities, and Tigger certainly boasts all of those qualities! There have been times where having Leo and Tigger together has been the equivalent to having two children. Just like a child Tigger wants attention and a fuss, I was surprised as I was always under the impression that Bengal’s are not lap cats, but when Tigger is in the right mood he is the biggest lap cat of them all!

In terms of Tigger’s health we very quickly got him insured with some pet insurance for cats so that we were covered from any un-expected vet costs if something were to happen. I had never had a pedigree cat before and I wanted to make sure that we had every base covered. Taking out the insurance meant that we didn’t have to worry as everything in terms of the cost would be sorted with the means of an excess payment. I know that when our old cat Tabby passed away a few years ago I was absolutely distraught, we weren’t expecting it and we certainly didn’t expect such a hefty vet bill!

Tabby was my parent’s family cat and she was actually borderline feral when we first brought her home all of those years ago. Pet insurance was something that they didn’t look into, so when the time came that it was have proven valuable they simply had to bite the bullet and hand over their credit card. I think at a time like that where the outcome isn’t a happy one and you are parting with a rather pretty penny, it can make the whole scenario that even more devastating.

For us as a family I couldn’t imagine not taking out pet insurance, or a safety net to catch us in a time where we need that extra security.

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Argos Pet Insurance. I am happy to link to Argos Pet Insurance due to outstanding customer service in the past. However, as with all aspects of owning a pet, you must carefully consider the best policy for your needs to avoid any nasty surprises should you need to make a claim

Bringing Tigger Home

Leo is one excitable little man.

When something new is going on, he is right there trying to get into the thick of it.

Trying to get that little bit closer to the action.

So when we brought our new kitten home yesterday, Leo was beyond excited.

From the moment we pulled up to collect him, Leo knew where he was.

He knew that we were going to see the 'cat'.

He kept on saying it all the while he was grinning from ear to ear.

The smile only grew bigger when we persuaded Tigger into his carrier,

and it got bigger still when he saw him rivaling to get back out again.

Leo thought the other kittens were funny as they rallied 

around the carrier trying to get to their brother,

I just felt awful seeing them all so distressed that he was leaving.

Leo was amazed that Tigger was in the car, and demonstrated this by shouting 'Cat' until we arrived home an hour later...

Leo and I placed the pet carrier on the floor and opened it up, allowing Tigger to explore his brand new home.

He walked around taking everything in, all the while Leo looked on beaming his million dollar smile. 

Leo followed Tigger as he explored, and helped me prepare some food for him to try.

We had been in the house less than 5 minutes when Tigger darted behind the washing machine and under the kitchen cupboards. 

I realised pretty quickly that I couldn't move the washing machine...and had to call in re-enforcement to help me retrieve him.

It soon became apparent that Tigger was the perfect escape artist, and that he had a firm dislike of  specific cat food. He simply won't eat Chicken or Lamb pouches, but the fish based ones are devoured in minutes!

Tigger was shy but willing to come for a fuss, and become even more affectionate once my very excited, very tired, almost 2 year old was in bed.

Once bedtime came around for me I was at a loss what to do... Did I take my 13 week old kitten up to bed with me? Or leave him downstairs on his own?

In the end I left him in the lounge where he had access to his litter tray and food. 

This morning I was awoken by Leo who couldn't wait to come back downstairs to see his new kitten.

Tigger had spent the entire night hiding behind the sofa, but soon came out when presented with his breakfast.

As the day has gone on he has become more confident.

Leo has been able to play with him and enjoy his kitty cat, and is not so over excited around him (which I am sure Tigger is very grateful for!)

Surprisingly Tigger has had no accidents what so ever, he has been a little superstar in using his litter tray. He has been playful and enjoyed many a nap and been really patient with my little Leo who is just completely over the moon in having him around the house.

How is this for a kitten who is settling in nicely to his new home?

Preparing for a furr baby

On the 4^th of June we are adding a furry addition to our family, in the form of little Tigger the Bengal kitten.

I just know that with him coming into our little family, he is going to be a great friend for Leo as he grows. They will have hours of playful fun and enjoy snuggles together on the sofa.

For me I am looking forward to having a family pet, I have always grown up with cat’s and it just feels right to give Leo the opportunity to bond with an animal the same way I did when I was growing up.

I am looking forward to sleepy kitten snuggles as I sit down in an evening when Luke is out and about, and I just know that he is going to be a very welcome addition.

Since we decided to get a kitten I have come to realise just how like babies they really are. There is so much ‘stuff’ that you need to get, more so if you are getting a kitten who is going to be primarily a house cat. You need even more to keep them entertained.

We have invested in a reasonably sized cat tree, the kind of size that actually made Luke gasp as he walked into the room… I don’t think he was expecting it to almost reach the ceiling and take up a whole corner of the room. But needs must…

We have had to look into kitty litter, litter trays and litter boxes…Who knew there was so much choice? We have even had to investigate kitten food and toys. The list really is on-going….

Bengal’s are renown for their mischievous behaviour, and I think that is partly what drew me towards the breed in the first place. So I really have pulled out all of the stops when it comes to keeping him entertained…and from destroying the house of course!

Aside from the kitten tree we have a selection of different toys for Tigger, Leo and I have spent a great deal of time in Pet’s at Home trying to get a selection of different things ready for him. I have to admit that cat toy technology has come on in leaps and bounds since I last looked, electric squeaking mice, Feather boas on string, a battery operated ball in a bag, cat nip!

You name it…We probably have it.

We have even been sent a selection of items from the very lovely Baby Bea range sold at Pets at Home. The range has everything that you could possibly need for those early days with a new kitten in the house.

I am at a point now where I do feel we are ready to welcome our little Tigger home, we have plenty to keep him entertained and of course fed and watered.

We actually popped over to see him just the other day, and although he is still dinky, he is coming along beautifully. He seems a little more refined than his brother and sisters and isn’t as forthcoming for a fuss as they are, but I am sure all that will change once he is used to us and all settled in.

Disclaimer: I have been sent a selection of kitten items from the Baby Bea range sold at Pets At Home, however all views and opinions expressed are completely my own. 

Casabu

I was recently asked if I would like to trial Casabu – the flash sales parenting site that stocks a wide range of products for Mum and baby. Casabu host daily sales from a variety of the exciting product ranges that they stock, from clothing, toys, nursery equipment, maternity gear with up to 90% off retail prices!

To benefit from the great savings on Casabu you first need to create an account or sign in with your Facebook account. Once you are logged in a number of special offers from that day are presented to you, and you can either have a look at these deals or head up to the tool bar at the top of the page, where you can shop in a number of different ways:

-By Brand

- By Age

- By Category

The website is really easy to navigate and it is really simple to find what you are looking for. The deals change daily so if nothing takes your fancy today, then you can check back tomorrow to see what new goodies are in stock. Once you are all signed up you will receive a daily email with the latest deals, so it could not be easier to keep up to date with the latest bargains. 

I ordered Leo a really lovely wooden tool bench on the 30th April 2013, and you are given a rough idea on the product page of when your order will be dispatched. I was advised upon booking that delivery could take up to 13 days, it took 15 days in the end but I was in no rush for delivery as the item is actually being put away for Leo's birthday in June.

I have to say though that the customer service was brilliant. Casabu called me to let me know that there had been a delay on my item and told me that the stock was coming in later that week and it would be dispatched pretty much straight away to fulfill my order. They also sent me an email to confirm the voicemail after I missed their call, you cannot ask for anything more than that really!

The email told me that delivery would be made on the Wednesday, and they were completely right! I had to very quickly move the very bright tool bench box out of Leo's eye line as he wanted to open it there and then!

Casabu currently have some lovely items in stock, but you have to get in quick to secure what you would like as things do sell out pretty quickly.

Here is a little selection of the items I like on today's offers, 

For Leo's last birthday we actually bought him a Smart Trike Zoo and he adored it, and I can confirm that we certainly paid much more than the fantastic price of £72.00 that it is currently selling for over at Casabu!

I can highly recommend Casabu, and I have not been dis-heartened by the delay in my product arriving. I think if you are on the look out for a gift for someone, look in advance and then you will  be prepared.

Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a voucher for the purpose of this review, however all views and opinions are completely honest and my own.

The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers

The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one

Today I could easily have mistaken my cheeky chappy for that lovable, bouncy Tigger. Leo was just as energetic and incredibly bouncy!

We have finally after months of talking about it, put up our 14ft trampoline. After deciding the weather was just right and the lawn had been freshly mowed in preparation, Luke took his chance to put it up.

 This afternoon we introduced Leo to it for the first time, and just as we had all expected...Leo absolutely loved it. In fact he loved it so much that after playing on it all afternoon with the entire family, after his dinner and bath...He just had to go back out and play on it some more.

Leo crawled all over and around in circles. He laughed and chuckled as he was bounced up and down and when the sun shone brightly enough, he would suddenly find his shadow staring back at him on the trampoline bed. His shadow just amazed him and he chased it around like a cat would it's tail, he could not fathom what it was and why it was constantly moving.

You would think that after crawling around the garden and exploring the wilderness, as well as bouncing to the high heavens on the trampoline...That he would be tired? I mean I am not out of my mind for thinking this am I? Leo is actually at this moment in time refusing to go to bed and is currently sat staring longingly out of the window, right out on the trampoline where he can see his Aunt and Uncle bouncing away. Willing me to let him go and enjoy the rest of the evening in the garden.

I am willing the sunshine to stay around so we can make the most of the garden, and enjoy all the time outside. Leo really loves being outside playing and who can blame him? There is so much going on out there. I can see I am going to have a really hard time keeping him indoors, even if it is raining outside (as the weatherman has predicted for tomorrow!)

Leo has already demonstrated that he will be hard to keep inside. With all the lovely sunshine we have had today we eat with the back door open, which leads right out into the garden and of course...The trampoline. As soon as we took our little man out of the high chair and sat him on Daddy's lap, he saw His Aunt and Uncle back on the trampoline and bouncing. This is all it took...He was pulling forward and reaching his arms out, wanting to get back outside to play.

This means he really is a little person now, and not so much my baby boy. He would much rather be off playing and discovering exciting new things, than staying snuggled up to me. I knew this time would come...I just did not expect it to happen so quickly...

How have you all enjoyed your sunny Sunday's?

Laura

xx