Cani, gatti e altri animali da compagnia

Dogs, cats and other pets: a little help for taking care of them

Dogs, cats and other pets are valuable life companions.
It is now well known and studied that living with a pet from an early age helps to reduce the onset of possible future allergies. They are used in pet therapy, to help adults and small patients. They are trained to assist people suffering from diabetes, so that they can see when a crisis occurs. The list of how valuable the company of a pet is could continue for a long time, but those who have had the good fortune of enjoying their company, know that there is no need for any “valid reason”, study or belief, just their presence. The warmth and the company they are able to give, often equal, or at times exceed, that of any human beings. Sometimes you just have to look at them as they sleep, play or do something tender or funny to improve your mood throughout the day.

 

I have two dogs, Iris and Nanà, one black and one white. Literally the yin and yang that complement and contrast each other at the same time. They go through from one extreme to the other: one loves the heat, the other the cold, one likes to go out late at night, the other would like not to have to put a paw out after sunset, one loves fish, the other runs away for the smell alone. Even physically, as well as for the colour, they are at odds, one is tall and slender, the other low and squat, but in terms of agility things are reversed: the slim one is awkward and the other surprisingly agile. One is almost as waterproof as the ducks, the other seems like a rag to be wrung after a single drop of rain. Whoever wants to follow me in this telematic adventure you will end up getting to know them better.

 

Having pets, dogs, cats, turtles or whatever else in one’s life, has innumerable and undeniable virtues, but taking care of them at its best implies a serious and not indifferent commitment.
Among these commitments, one of the most important is their diet. In a jungle of information given by veterinarians, experts in the field, the internet and word of mouth, you often end up in total confusion. But slowly we learn to manage this aspect in the best way, understanding what, and how much is suitable for our friends with two, four, eight legs(not only dogs and rabbits, even spiders can become faithful companions of adventures) or even none in the case of fish or snakes. XD Once I had identified what was best for my two pets the problem was solved. I travel by foot or by public transportation, regardless of the lack of efficiency of the latter, so it’s never easy to travel far and wide in search of the best quality and price for food or other articles for them, and then return loaded like Santa on Xmas Eve.

Amazon has really helped me. In addition it has recently opened a dedicated section on it’s website in www.amazon.it: Pets’ Products. However, following a friend’s suggestion, I have been using the Amazon Pantry service for a year now. As you must know, Amazon pantry is obviously not limited to animal products only, it’s almost entirely a home shopping service (with the exception of perishable foods).
To make it short: You have a box to fill as you add items to your cart, it increases the percentage of space occupied. Space is occupied differently by each product, according to its size, weight and fragility. For example: a bag of chips could occupy more space in percentage than a packet of dough, because it needs an adequate volume in order to arrive whole in our homes. Once you have reached 100% volume, more or less of what you need in your shopping cart, proceed with the order and within a couple of days at most your groceries will comfortably arrive at home. The cost of the box is €3.99(in Italy), but it is often reset to zero through promotions of various kinds, or by buying 5 products among those listed on the page: Pantry Promotion. (it is therefore often advisable to always check when there are products that are more suitable for your needs. I use it, as well as to buy food for my two dogs, also for “heavy” food to be transported, such as various boxes, preserves and so on and for some unhealthy snacks and chips, because in addition to being comfortable as a service, it also has rather competitive prices.

So if it’s not easy for you to carry kilos and pounds of pet food or just want to enjoy the convenience of having everything you need at home, without effort and without wasting time between various shops and supermarkets, I recommend you try it. It really made a difference for me.

In addition, as you can see from the photos, I’m not the only one to appreciate the comfort of the service :-p

As you get to know the stories of Iris and Naná better, I would like to learn about your pets! Do you have a pet? What is it’s name? Does it fly, walk, jump, crawl, swim,….? And if you don’t share your life with any pet, what would you like with you? 🙂