ally & kat: 2016

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. #tartan

The West Highland way!

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#bikebasket

Eco Interior Trends for Pets #2 // Woven furniture & accessories

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#sasha and me

Eco Interior Trends for Pets #1 // Wool : stylish & green (or grey).

2016 Trendy interior featuring wing chair and skulls

Spring is in the air and our thoughts turn to trends for our interiors and for pet products in SS2016.

Wool is surprisingly regarded as a material for the winter. Snuggled on the sofa with cable knit throws and cushions. Or as a luxury item such as Cashmere. Wool is ubiquitous in everyones wardrobe including probably your pets, but now you can let your pet enjoy its qualities in Spring with the latest designs in comfortable pet furniture. The reality is that wool is perfect for all year round and for a myriad of applications. It is how the wool is used that dictates its usefulness, and its purpose. .

At ally & kat we pride oursleves on sourcing the most design led eco pet products in the world. We have discovered a beautiful range of wool pet beds from a designer in Australia. As the only UK distributors we are proud to bring this incredible range to our customers.

The wool has been hand pressed into felt by a tribe in the Himalyas. The wet felting process is popular among crafters and artisans globally for its ability to produce items of great strength and organic shape requiring little or no technology or chemicals. The process and end product is green in its entirety.

The results here are two innovative , stylish and comfortable designs for cats and dogs .

The first pet bed displayed is a futuristic but snuggly pod. Handmade using the wet felting process. the Sogno pod is a modern yet comfortable secure haven for your pet.

Natural felt wool cat dog bed - Sogno pod

The second pet ded is a cushion based basket. This offers two solutions for your pets comfort in one.

The modern design of the bed itself would not look out of place on the cover of Vogue. Contrast stitch handles. Deep sides and spacious interior. Any pet would find it the ideal , safe haven for

relaxation and rest or a fun hiding place.

The cushion provides a funky alternative to conventional pet beds. The beds are grey as standard with contrasting cushions available in yellow, orange, green (shown) , light grey and dark grey (shown).

Both designs shown are avaialble instore at ally & kat or click shop at the top of this page.

The chair featured is a stunning statement piece from UK retailer Alexander and Pearl. The stylish Townhouse wing chair is upholstered in a deluxe grey, wool check fabric. This check wing chair will suit a library or home study.

Dimensions: H: 109 W: 88 D: 98cm .

£895.00

www.aleaxanderandpearl.co.uk

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#cat

5 Things You Need to Know About Pet Grooming!

People assume that the only pets that need grooming are dogs.

Dogs may be messier, bigger, and sometimes dirtier than cats but this does not mean that they are the only pets that need to be groomed and pampered. Pet grooming is more than bathing and brushing.

Pet grooming is a treatment and maintenance regime to benefit your pet's health, comfort and quality of life. And it makes them look and smell pretty too!

When you spend time brushing, combing and detangling your pet's fur you can also check for lumps, bumps, cuts, scratches and even bites or injury from inesects and accidents or fights. Cats especially can return to a house without displaying discomfort and have puncture wounds in deep fur that may become infected and sore but be undetected until complications occur.

Cats need halp with grooming.

Yes, your cat will be seen to be labouriously and meticulously cleaning their legs and paws and even their faces and whiskers but as flexible as cats are they sometimes need help.

Checking ears and eyes daily for discharge, damage or even smells. Seeds embed themselves quickly and can cause serious infections and conditions or even lead to death. Ticks for example are commonly found buried in ears.

Hair may become matted with faecal matter. Cleanliness must be paramount. Bacterial infections, smells, impacted stools and physical discomfort can all be avoided by keeping your cat's fur as clean and detangled as possible.

Cats can benefit from a relaxing brush.

Cats shed just as much as dogs and excess hair is just as uncomfortable and problematic. Cats also have the added factor of self grooming leading to hairballs. Somecats don!t encourage petting them but the rythmic strokes of a bristle brush can remove hair and induce relaxation. This is the ideal time to bond with your cat. Time spent every day, or twice a day for long hairs builds trust and enjoyment between you both.

According to the nest these simple tips will make brushing your cat less of a chore and more of a pleasure for both you and your cat.

Step 1

Show your cat the brush. Let her sniff it, rub her head against it and feel comfortable around it. If you whip out the brush and begin trying to untangle the mats, it's going to learn that the brush is evil. Leave the brush out for about an hour or two, keeping it on the floor in your cat's general vicinity.

Step 2

Place your cat in a well-lit area, and pet them for a few minutes. Let it see the brush again and nonchalantly place it on its back. After a few minutes, take it a step further and begin brushing its back gently and slowly. Your cat will probably either put on the brakes and wonder what you're doing to them or arch its back in pleasure.

Step 3

Pet your cat around the ears and give it a nice scratching under the chin as you continue to brush the hair. Stay away from the matted areas for now. Your primary goal is to make them feel comfortable and think that brushing is just another form of petting.

Step 4

Search for the mats with your fingers. Once you find one, hold about three-quarters of the mat against your cat's skin with your free hand, allowing only the very top of the mat to remain free. Begin gently brushing out the top with your brush or comb, working in one direction.

Step 5

Work your way down to the base of the mat as you untangle the top. The goal is to unknot tiny portions of the mat at a time. If the brush doesn't seem to work, use both of your thumbs and index fingers to pull apart the matted fur. If the mat is one large clump, sometimes pulling it apart allows the brush or comb to better untangle the hair.

Step 6

Untangle small portions of the mat's base. Once you close in on the base of the mat, you'll notice that the tangled area gets larger and even more problematic to untangle. Try to untangle the entire base at one time and your cat will notice too. Sectioning it off means less work for you and fewer pitiful meows from your kitty. Start at one edge, holding the majority of the mat with your fingers, and work your way to the other edge in small increments as each section is untangled.

Step 7

Take your feline to the vet or groomer if you can't untangle the stubborn mats. If your cat has sections of matted fur, you can probably take care of the problem yourself. If the fur is bad enough that the mat is just one giant stretch of knotted hair, that's a situation that probably calls for a professional, as shaving the fur might be necessary

Cats don't hate water.

Grumpy Ginger cat wet from being in a bath

Yes you read it correctly. Some cats love water. Just watch the cat in the bath in today!s video. Other evidence is your cat!s reaction when a tap is running into a sink. The paw flicks or your cat may put their head under the stream.

Some skin conditions may require the treatment from medicated shampoos. So how often should you bathe your cat? There are no hard and fast rules but consideration should be given to vet recommendations, using gentle products and obviously success is dependant on your cat's mood.

Cats teeth need cleaning.

Cats and dogs both nèed good oral hygiene. They rely on strong teeth for protection and to tear and chew. The natural diet of cats and dogs is omnivore. Vegetables and plants are enjoyable ingredients and a vaĺuable source of supplements. Fruit and vegetables taste delicious. My cats enjoyed a small green salad every day, with apple once a week for a treat; Kimba loved cucumber in particular. But even with a healthy diet of meat, fish and veg just like us our pets need teeth brushing for tartare prevention, healthy gums and removing tuna breath!

The aim of brushing your cats teeth daily is not to get that Morris the cat superstar smile but it allows examination of the oral health. Maybe seeds are trapped or gums are cut and require attention. Your vet will always check your pets gums and teeth for a snapshot of it,s general health.

Plus again with the plethora of flavours of pet toothpastes your cat will be receptive to allowing this valuable aspect of their daily grooming regime.

Cats need nail care.

Cats claws are sharp for an evolutionary reason. Cats needed to catch prey, protection and agilityfor climbing . Today even domestic cats require healthy, sharp claws. So how do you groom your cats nails? Scratch posts or as you have discovered any sofa corner or arm will suffice.

Again as with the eyes, ears , matting and dental hygiene, please go to your Vet if you are concerned with any aspect of your cats and dogs well being.

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dogs

Did you know that dogs have two senses of smell?

Close up of black and white border collie dog nose

How does your dog smell? Terrible or terribly well?

The answer is probably both but look at you dog right now. Do they have a wet nose?
Yes, then they are using a super power.

Dogs are renowned for their sense of smell, which is why they are utilised to support Police Forces, the armed forces, search and rescue in every country in the world. They can sniff out everyting from Cocaine to Cadavers.

The ability to smell up to 40 feet underground has proven invaluable in natural disasters, cave-ins or at locating gas leaks.

Apprently it has been discovered that they can even smell electricity, ovulation in cows and ... fingerprints!

The research into the accuracy of canine olfactory senses is regarded as so reliable that Medical Alert Assistance dogs are used to support individuals who live with dangerous health conditions such as diabetes, A dog will detect and respond when the blood sugar levels are dangerously low and warn the individual to take preventative action.

The most common examples of the extraordinary abilities are displayed every day in airports. That friendly Beagle that walks past us while we are waiting in line at check-in or at the baggage carousel may look like a sweet puppy, but this working member of the Border Secuirty team is on a mission.

That little nose can detect a variety of misdemeanours. The dogs at airports are specialists trained to detect currency, explosives, drugs, flora and fauna and even prohibited food using only their sense of smell.

So we know what dogs can do, but how can they do it?

Dogs have a super power - they have two ways to sense smell

As you would expect the first smell system is located in the nose. Like us in order for a dog to smell, we breathe in air containing odour molecules, which settle in the millions of olfactory receptors. The canine olfactory tissues are the reason the sense is so acute.

We as humans have half a square inch of this tissue in our nostrils. In comparison some breeds have up to twenty square inches. For dogs, the scent improves with the quality of airflow through their noses. This is why hounds in particular are phenomenal trackers, the faster the prey runs, the more the dog runs, the stronger the scent becomes.

The second smell system surprisingly is located in a dogs mouth! Close to the upper pointed teeth is a small tube that advances to a particular gland known as the vomeronasal organ (VNO), or the Jacobson's organ.

Found in most animals the purpose of this gland is to figure out and illustrate the most primal forms of smell. The Jacobson’s organ interpret smells. This allows the dogs to understand its world. Allowing distinction between other dogs or animals in their surroundings, choosing their mates, and naturally sense their prey and of course locating food.

All very interesting but there is more!

Scientists have discovered that the average dog produces about 250 ml of mucus per day through his nasal cavities just to keep his nose wet.

The nose acts like a sponge seizing the microscopic odour molecules and liquefiying them through the wetness of the nose in order for the inner receptors to examine and identify them appropriately.

Like most super powers there is a weakness.

Over time tumours and nodules develop in the nostrils causing the sense there to deteriorate. Dogs begin relying on the Jacobson's organ.

Bad dental hygeine and oral health can further weaken the sense.

Very senior dogs will probably lose nearly all sense of smell. It usually happens in conjunction with the new found ability to pass wind! (Joke).