My Bestie Pet Shop

28/01/2025

28/01/2025

7 Interesting Facts about Catnip.

Many of our cat toys for sale have cat nip. What is it about this peculiar stuff that some call crack for cats? If you see how some cats go crazy with euphoria when exposed to catnip, it’s obviously a fitting name for the herb. Here are seven interesting facts about catnip.

1 Catnip is a member of the mint family—the scientific term is Lamiaceae—and is often mistaken for peppermint, lemon balm, and catmint.

2 Like THC in ma*****na, the psychoactive substance in catnip is called nepetalactone. Fragile, microscopic bulbs secrete the substance that coats the catnip plant.

3 Not all cats react to catnip; as many as 33 percent of cats seem immune to its effects. But most adult felines—an estimated 67 to 80 percent—will be sensitive to the effects of catnip, even if how they react varies from cat to cat.

4 The origin of catnip is unknown, but one theory traces the herb back to ancient Egypt. We do know, though, that in 1941, a Wisconsin scientist named Samuel McElvain and a team of researchers discovered nepetalactone.

5 It’s not just our house cats that react to catnip; big, exotic cats like lions and tigers do, too! However, only felines—members of the biological family Felidae—get buzzed from catnip. No other type of animal does.

6 Unlike human recreational drugs, catnip is non-addicting and safe from overdose.

7 You can grow your own catnip in your garden! It’s a hardy perennial. We also sell it already dried in packets so you can rub their toys, scratch pads etc in the cat nip

21/12/2024

Do you know which favourite festive treats are highly toxic or hazardous to our furry friends? ⚠️

If you can’t resist sneaking the dog some scraps from your Christmas dinner, it’s important to be mindful about what is safe for them to have, and what you should avoid sharing 🐶

And whilst there may be parts of your Christmas dinner that are safe to feed in small amounts. Just remember that a small portion for us is a lot for your pet! It's best to stick to your pet's main diet as much as possible, as a sudden change can lead to a tummy ache.

[Visual description: An infographic displaying the safe and unsafe parts of a Christmas dinner for your pets. Safe foods include: boiled carrot and parsnip, broccoli, boiled or steamed greens, carrot or swede mash, lean parts of white meat. Unsafe foods include: gravy, stuffing, anything containing garlic, onion or leek, bones, chocolate, mince pies, panettone and anything containing currants, raisins and sultanas. Foods that are safe in small amounts include: roast potatoes, bacon, sausage and cranberry.]

21/12/2024

⛄Gifting animals for Christmas can be a great time to introduce a new member of the family in a gift form, but please be aware of every responsibility that comes with the pet.🐈

🎄Gifting the animal to someone who does not live with you, or putting the responsibility on them without making sure they're ok with it and ready for the huge change.🐾

🧑‍🎄Gifting an animal to a child is a great way to give them some sense of responsibility, but as the one giving, you need to still have ownership and ensure the animal gets all the care they need.🐕‍🦺

💙More information here on our website;💙
https://www.rspca-eastsomerset.co.uk/gifting-animals/

19/12/2024

Get your Paws on your 6th bag free! Join our Burns Dry Loyalty Club. Making your Pet Food more Affordable. Ask Debbie or Kirsty to sign you up!

19/12/2024