To my surprise, the one and only SlobberDog was lucky enough to grace the ad for this awesome daycare! 

 So how did our resident Diva of Destruction feel about her brother’s newfound fame and fortune?

This is a bunch of crap. I'm the photogenic one around here!

The other day I came home from work hot, tired, and generally cranky.  I admit that most days I don’t venture into the back yard much.  It’s too hot and sticky for lounging around outside right now, and when we go for walks we use the front door.  These days I enter the back yard mostly for poop pick up and watering plants (infrequently).   This is what I see when I look out my back door:

Nothing unusual, right?  Until this day.  I wandered around the bamboo to have a look at some of my plants and look what I found:

Yep, that would be a Hazel-sized hole in my planter bed.   If you look closely you will see that she came thisclose to destroying my irrigation system.  In which case, this post may have had a different ending.  I had my suspicions as to the guilty party, but when asked Hazel gladly copped to the destruction.

Once again, SlobberDog refused to be outdone.  When I came into the house after filling in Hazel’s grave, I found him in my bathroom closet eating a bar of honey almond soap.  Unfortunately for you, dear readers, there was nothing left to photograph.  Just a giant SlobberDog with a guilty look and a gob full of slimy bubbles. 

Why do they insist on ganging up on me?  And why do I never learn DON’T TRUST the StinkDogs…..Ever!

Clockwise from top: The Kondo comes in a convenient carrying case; Included pins are the only item required for setup; Set up in progress

I received the Kondo a couple of weeks ago and set it up in my sitting room to see how everything worked.  Milo and Bella were instantly intrigued.  I left it up so they could get used to it but they didn’t hesitate to hop in and relax.  I found that Bella (my independent girl) suddenly began hanging out in there a lot, foregoing her usual post on her throne by the kitchen window.  Milo (my snuggle buddy at night) even abandoned me to sleep with Bella in the Kondo!  Even Hazel had a sniff around and it was plenty big enough for her 45 lb body. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Once I knew all was well with our new toy, we packed up and headed off to Manatee Springs for our weekend camping trip.  It was very easy to transport and carry the Kondo, as it folds flat and comes in this nice carrying case with handles.  It fit very well (along with the rest of our gear) in the trunk of my little Honda.  The Kondo is super easy to set up and took only minutes to do so.  The instructions provided were adequate, although it is pretty self-explanatory.  The size was great for my two cats to spend the weekend in – they had a nice shady place for a bed under the canopy, while their litter box was located at the other end of the unit. 

This outdoor cat enclosure is perfect for a weekend getaway like ours.  Some of my favorite features are:

• Extremely easy to assemble.  The unit transports in one flat piece and only requires a few pins to lock the frame into position
• Shade canopy is a nice touch, allowing part of the cat run to be shaded for most (if not all) of the day
• A door on each end allows you to reach your kitty regardless of where he might be chilling out in his Kondo.  It also allows you to put water or food in or change litter easily.
• The Kondo is extremely lightweight, yet very stable and sturdy. 
• The high quality carrying case is included and has handles and a shoulder strap for easy transport, plus there are several nice pockets inside for food, treats, etc. 

There weren’t many negatives in my opinion, but I want to mention the following:

• There is a bit of sag in the netting and sometimes the net gets caught in the joints when the Kondo is folded/unfolded.  I did have to use a screwdriver to spread the joint a bit to get the netting out during my initial setup.  I definitely recommend setting this up at home before you travel with it, just to make sure you have everything you need for setup. 
• Along the same vein, I had some minor problems with fit during my setup.  The canopy frame fits very tightly and the posts were very difficult to line up just so.  There is no room for play – which is good for stability, but can be tricky for setup.  I think the painted coating added just enough thickness to the posts to make it pretty snug.   
• The netting used is a fairly open weave that doesn’t have much structure.  There is a bit of sagging along the top of the cat run and it’s a relatively loose draping of net that offers a bit of movement as I mentioned above.  The product instruction sheet clearly states that this material is not recommended for unsupervised use in an animal that chews.  I have to agree with this – although I will admit that I did leave my cats for brief periods unattended after I saw their reaction to the Kondo.  They were having so much fun watching everything that they had no desire to break out!  Having said this, I would have preferred a tighter, stronger weave that might be a bit more resistant to teeth and claws.

Overall, I have to say that this is an excellent product!  While there are a few minor, nitpicky things I might change about the design, the Kritter Kondo performs as expected and is a great product for the price.  I did a quick search for similar products and found that most outdoor cat enclosures were much more expensive than this one.  More importantly, I didn’t find any that were this mobile. 

If you’re like me, and had never even considered taking your cats on a trip before, another point to mention is this:  I have two pretty cool cats, but they are by no means “freak proof.”  Bella is the consummate hunter and takes every opportunity to run out the door and go on a walkabout.  Milo is a huge chicken and is afraid of everything unknown to him.  Point is, either of these guys could have made a case for escape and I wouldn’t have been surprised.  What did surprise me is that they were completely relaxed and comfortable in their Kondo the entire weekend.  There was no howling, scratching, or attempts to escape.  I believe that the design of this Kondo allowed Bella to experience her environment as much as she wanted, while offering Milo a feeling of more security with the shade canopy over him. 

I will definitely take Milo, Bella, and our Kritter Kondo road tripping again once it cools off down here!  In the meantime, it’s going into the backyard so they can enjoy their outdoor time here at home.   If you would like to win one of these Kondos, visit Lisa’s blog Kritters That Twitter and click on the Google Friends tab to follow her.  Even if you don’t camp or travel with your cats, I can think of a ton of reasons why you would still like this product.  And Bella and Milo agree.

Kitty tested; SlobberDog approved!

We have some really great giveaways that are already underway for June at Pets Blogroll.  You won’t want to miss these ones!  Read on…

First Giveaway:  Lucky Me, a book by Christi Drue Dunlap

About the book:

“Lucky Me”, narrated by a rescued dog named Rocky, provides a guide to children and parents looking to add an animal companion to their family. Illustrated with full color photographs by the author, Rocky and his friends walk us through what a humane society can offer to animals, and what every animal guardian should know about caring for and keeping their new family member safe.  This is a really cute book  that my little nephew just adored!  A really great thing is that a portion of the net proceeds from this book will be donated to two of Christi’s favorite pet rescue organizations.  We are giving away 4 of these great books, one each week, so make sure you visit the contest page for details on how to enter!  First drawing is this Friday!

Second Giveaway:  $50 Voucher from PetSimply.com

About PetSimply.com:

PetSimply.com offers deals dogs will dig. Similar to the daily-deal model popularized by Groupon, PetSimply.com is a collective buying website for savvy pet owners.  Save 50 to 90 percent on must-haves for dogs, cats, fish and more.  PetSimply.com finds the best, sometimes hidden, deals on food, meds, supplies, gourmet treats, toys, fashions, boutiques, and more.  We are only giving away 2 of these great vouchers, the first of which will be selected this Friday!  If you haven’t checked out this site, you have to do it now.  It’s a great place to find awesome deals on all sorts of pet products.  Hurry and enter now!

If you’re not a member of Pets Blogroll yet, what are you waiting for?!  Things are heating up over there with our brand new Member Spotlight feature, where your blog is featured on our homepage for an entire month!  We are attracting upwards of 20,000 hits per day which equals a ton of  exposure for your blog.  It’s a great place to find new blogs and keep track of the blogs you love. 

We’re also looking for more contest and giveaway sponsors, so if you have a product you’d like to promote send me an email.

We arose early on Saturday morning excited to begin our day.  At some point during the chilly night Hazel must have awoken me to get covered up, because she and Grady were snuggled together under a fluffy down comforter.  Another lack of planning on my part….I hadn’t stopped to consider that north central Florida is generally at least ten degrees cooler than Orlando, and it was definitely a brisk night!  I love camping in cooler weather, but I’m not sure Hazel agreed.  We eventually emerged from our tent and started our fire up so we could begin the process of exploring my lack of culinary skills.  (FYI, if you can’t do it in a kitchen, you probably can’t do it over a fire either.  Oh, and if you try to make omelets in a zip loc bag in boiling water..don’t hang the bag over the pot.  Plastic melts, OK?  Right now, I’m remembering a comment someone once made about scientists and engineers lacking common sense…Hmmmm…..) 

After our lengthy (and large) breakfast, we hung around camp for awhile soaking in the sights.  The wildlife at Manatee Springs is unbelievable; we had bold deer coming right up to our site to check us out, a very determined woodpecker tapping away on a post nearby, and screech owls facing off in the night.  It was so much fun to be immersed in the wild and have them take no notice of any of us! 

While we were all enjoying the sites, SlobberDog used his time for an after breakfast nap.  With the exception of a particularly feisty armadillo, he showed zero interest in the wildlife surrounding us.

Eventually, we made our way to the springs to cool off and play in the water.  Both Grady and Hazel have been exposed to water bodies before, but neither of them do more than wade in and drink.  True to form SlobberDog padded his way in up to his belly, then proceeded to scarf up big, loud swallows of the clear spring water.  He waited until he had attracted the attention of the nearest park-goers before following that up with a huge belch.  Classy, dude!

This time, Hazel braved the deeper waters and practiced her swimming technique.  Once she got the hang of it, she quite enjoyed paddling around!

Since WordPress is being tempermental and won’t let me embed the video, click here to see Hazel in action.

Grady was not amused and could not be convinced to let his feet leave the solid ground.

Um, how about NO?!?! I am a Mastiff. I drool, I fart, I snore. I do NOT swim.

Despite SlobberDog’s protests, we spent the remainder of the weekend swimming in the spring run and hiking the trails sprinkled throughout the park.  Grady’s vote was to stay at camp to nap.  Unfortunately for him, this is not a democracy.  He was appeased a bit as we progressed through the park and attracted a large following of admirers.   We packed up on Sunday afternoon and headed home exhausted, elated, and lulled by the sound of Grady’s snoring rumbling in the backseat.  In the end, we had a great time on our first camping trip together and we’re already looking forward to our next destination. 

Make sure you stop back to hear all about Milo and Bella’s experiences with the Kritter Kondo at Manatee Springs!

Most people know me as an outdoorsy kind of girl.  I spend a lot of time outside with my animals enjoying nature and I thought a camping trip would be lots of fun!  I’d been considering planning one anyway, it just never seemed to make it to the top of my To Do list, so this seemed like a great opportunity.  Plus, I thought, camping with two cats (and HazelNut) should provide endless opportunity for me to mock myself on my blog! 

Shortly after the planning commenced, I realized I was out of my league.  After all, going on a camping trip, is not the same as planning a camping trip.  And going on a camping trip with four animals is a whole other ball of wax!  After more than a few hiccups, I sorted things out and the preparations began.  I selected Manatee Springs State Park as our destination. 

Clockwise from top: The headsprings boasts crystal clear cool water; leashed dogs can swim and play in the canoe launch area; a shallow wade in area is available for those who like to venture slowly into the cool water

Like all Florida State Parks it is pet friendly, and its location in Chiefland was a perfect 2.5 hour drive from our house.  I chose this park because of the varied options for pet friendly fun, like swimming in the canoe launch and hiking on the 8+ miles of trails.  Unfortunately (here comes that planning thing again), what I failed to consider was the time it would take to load my car after work, drive the nearly 3 hours in Friday rush hour traffic, and set up camp in the dark!  Good thing I have four very patient and understanding animals who didn’t get dinner until nearly 10 pm!  Oops. 

I gave her my most dazzling dangling goobers and yet she still didn't feed us until after my bedtime!! What gives?!

The campsites were organized around a loop, with the bathrooms in the center.  Each site had running water, electricity, a picnic table, and a fire pit/grill.  Within minutes of our arrival we were greeted by the welcoming committee:  a fearless armadillo and a hungry raccoon.  Good thing the gang was waiting in the car until our setup was complete!  My bodyguard/camping buddy Z and I had camp set up in no time, almost like we were camping professionals.  We bedded down for the night to the sound of crickets chirping and….. HazelNut barking fervishly at some unidentified creature thrashing through the brush outside our tent!  Uh oh….way to start off our camping trip!  Eventually everyone settled down and we slumbered for the remainder of the night.

What? Am I just supposed to LIE there as those creatures are preparing to eat us?!

Check out our home video below.

Ya that's me. What are you going to do about it?

I haven’t always been single.  When I got SlobberDog I was casually seeing a guy we’ll call Travis.  Travis tried really hard to show me what a dog lover he was, but I saw his gag reflex activate every time he got slimed. 

Then came Vin.  I dated him for a long time - 4 or 5 years.  When we met, he was a self-professed animal lover, but even he couldn’t handle the likes of SlobberDog.  Grady tried all the normal routes used for Getting Rid of Guys in Mom’s Life, like excessive drooling and flatulence on the pillow.  When Vin and I moved in together, Grady realized he needed to up the ante to make his point.  That’s when the swamp diving and hole digging began, followed up with numerous acts of destruction.  My favorite was when SlobberDog carefully selected a video from the media center and proceeded to crunch it to bits.  The video?  A rare documentary that cost Vin a $100 donation to some conservation center.  Another favorite was an early playdate, when Vin was still trying to impress me.  SlobberDog took one look at this novice running away from him, put his head down, and charged.  Right into the backs of Vin’s knees.  His legs flew right out from beneath him and he sailed through the air, landing on his back into a cartoon heap.  Oops.  Needless to say, it wasn’t long before Vin decided he really wasn’t that much of a dog lover and we parted ways.

You think I'm gonna stop, don't you? Go on thinking that until I run that no-good Mama stealing butt of yours over and slime you right in your gob!

After Vin, there was a short stint with a foreign boy who came from a country where dogs aren’t commonly kept as pets.  Poor boy tried, he really did, but he was no match for the Grad-meister.  He was gone after just a couple of months.

Whatchu gonna do about it, Tough Guy?

So here I am back at the drawing board.  I think this time my wish list for a man will include “no sense of smell” and “no personal belongings available for destruction.”

My Couch. My Rules.

SlobberDog’s Rules of Engagement

1. I come first.  I come second too.
2. She will always choose me over you.  I promise.
3. If you go in for a tender moment, expect a large slobbery head to pop up between the two of you at any time.
4. I sleep with Mama.  You sleep where there’s room (preferably not ours)
5. When I snore she thinks its cute.  When you snore, she kicks you out.
6. It might look like we’re playing, but we’re not.  Expect to be bowled over at any time.  I might seem clumsy, but I have deadly accuracy when necessary
7. Never let me see your weakness.  I will seize it and use it against you. 
8. If you’re trying to look cool, Don’t.  I will launch a goober into that bulls eye between your eyes.
9. If you try any funny business with my Mama, you will get my paw in your groin.  And she’ll be too busy laughing to save you when you collapse.
10. If you take my Mama away from me, I will take away everything you own.  You’ll come home from work to find a million pieces of it in your bed.  How do you like me now, huh?

If you have ever looked at this charming face and thought “I need one of those lovable lugs”  then you must read on.  Life with SlobberDog is not for the faint of heart – it takes a special breed of human to deal with these special creatures (just ask my ex….there’s a reason he’s my ex!)  So here are my Top Ten Tips for Surviving Life with SlobberDog.

1. Goober Rags are your friends.  Invest in them – LOTS of them!  Appropriate placement is key – so be sure to place one at each point of entry to the house, food bowl, water bowl, next to the bed, next to the computer, in the car.  Oh heck, just attach one to his collar with an elastic cord and you’re all set. 
2. Never white.  Or black, for that matter.  The only appropriate color for ANYTHING in a SlobberDog-friendly home is brown. 
3. Scrubbable everything.  Particularly the paint on your walls.  And never do microsuede (as in furniture) or silk (as in lampshades).  Not good.  Ever.
4. Agility and fitness (for you, silly, SlobberDogs don’t exercise!) are imperative.  Airborne goobers are even more dangerous than the shoestring variety, and you must be light on your feet to intercept them before they land on your TV, dinner, or expensive wall art.  In addition, never practice “heel”  with your SlobberDog.  The heel position is a risky place for you to walk as it is directly in the path of the inevitable flying goober.  Much better to walk behind your SlobberDog so you can be ready for that head shake and get out of the way when it happens!
   

   Hey! Why doesn't anyone wanna walk with me?

5. Observe SlobberDog’s Law:  The likelihood of an item being slimed increases exponentially with its dollar value.  In other words, you are about a billion times more likely to get slimed wearing Gucci than wearing Target.
6. Get ready for some “together time.”  All the time.  SlobberDog is your shadow; in the bathroom, in the kitchen, when you wake and when you sleep.  You’ll never be lonely with SlobberDog around.  Accept it and embrace it. 
   

   Looky here! I am giving you my best googly eyes! Pay attention!

7. Never, EVER pet a SlobberDog from below.  Anywhere beneath the pendulous folds of drool-storing lips is dangerous territory and you will most assuredly emerge covered in some variety of gooberlicious goodness.
8. Sleeping is optional.  You know how big SlobberDogs look when you see them on the street?  Well they seem to somehow grow bigger as soon as they step onto your bed.  And there is no place quite like the dead center of the bed for a SlobberDog to sleep.  What?  No dogs in the bed.  Ha!  You Novice…..And if you are a light sleeper, SlobberDog might not be right for you either.  Jet engines are quieter than a SlobberDog’s snore.  Consider yourself warned!
9. The backseat of your car is SlobberDog territory and therefore unsafe for humans.  I once lost a friend back there.  She got stuck to the seat and I haven’t seen her since. 
10. You’ll look forward to Slime Patrol days so you can once again see out your windows.  It may become a game to find the most unusually located goober of the week.  My winner thus far is a dried dangler hanging from my silk lampshade.  Quite fascinating, but it was recommended that I not photograph it for this blog, just in case you all don’t find it as intriguing as I do.

Most importantly, be prepared to lose your heart.  It is not possible to share your  life with a SlobberDog and not fall madly, stupidly, head-over-heels in love.  Just when you want to kill them, they look at you with those big, sad eyes and it’s over.  You sigh, and go back to your bucket of bleach water, and continue the never ending goober removal process.