Katz & Dogz Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Services

06/01/2023

Last of the doggo photos from my camera 🥹🥰

05/01/2023

As my current clients already know I have decided to close the business, as of 13th January 2023. This decision has not been taken lightly, because I love all of the dogs and cats, that I have had the pleasure of working with, over the last 7 years. There are many reasons for my decision, and I feel it is now time for me to move on to pastures new. I would like to thank all of my clients past and present for your support and for sharing your fur babies with me 🥰 this isn’t a goodbye, it is a see you again, as I will always be at the end of the telephone, and I will no doubt see some of you, via my new employment, or whilst out walking my own dogs 😊 I am not taking this page down, so that you can still see the photos of your pets, but I won’t respond to any messages, that come via this page,
from next Friday onwards. Once again thank you, it has been an honour to be trusted with your pets 🥹 Kath xx

22/09/2022

🥰🥰😂😂

12/09/2022

Always💕

Dogs...providing comfort to humans when they need it most ♥️

11/09/2022

Rea's holiday in Wales! ⛱🥰🐶🍦

08/09/2022

Rest in peace Your Majesty 😞 You will be sadly missed by your family, the country, the commonwealth and by your beloved animals 💕

02/09/2022

This 🥰🐶

Beautiful words by Richard A Biby

JUST A DOG
From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."
Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.
Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."
"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure and unbridled joy.
"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person.
Because of "just a dog," I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog," but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog," just smile--because they "just don't understand."

02/09/2022

Never assume it's OK to STROKE my dog...

Nobody has the right to stroke or touch anyone's dog UNLESS they've gained PERMISSION off dog and owner first.

As a dog owner, we've all experienced Joe public leaning down to stroke your dog, without any knowledge or even any consent.

You are simply minding your own business, perhaps stopping at the traffic lights or walking down the road.

That looming hand can be particularly distressing to any dog.

It could be...

Nervous.

In training.

Unpredictable.

Bounce up.

🐶 DISTANCE is essential

By creating distance you are giving the dog the space it needs to approach in it's own time. If it wants to. Some dogs may never want to say hello, that's ok.

The key things to remember: Safety for the dog. Safety for the owner. Safety for you.

🐶 Why a hands off approach?

If you met a person for the first time and they put their hand on your shoulder, perhaps a hug, how would you feel?

I don't know the person. They are now in my space. They have not given me any distance or time to trust them.

🐶 Trust

We need to see it from the dog's eyes. A scary hand looming over their head, giant steps heading their way.

🐶 The magnet effect - lure or not to lure?

Some people think it's ok if they have treats, surely the dog will then really want to say hello?

Not always.

The treat can act as a magnet, it may seem like the dog is able to temporarily override any fear, moving away from it's safe zone, but then can essentially get stuck...

As long as the treats are continually being dispensed, the dog is distracted just enough to forget about the threat.

Once the treats pause, sometimes for even a brief moment, the dog can suddenly 'remember' that the threat is in close proximity. This may provoke a lunge or more seriously a bite.

The treat could also make the dog excited, jump up and the dog could be allergic to some types of food.

Remember to always ask the owner's and dog's permission, before you stroke, touch or even approach a dog.

Thanks for reading,
Helen Motteram

31/08/2022

Our sleepy doggy on holiday with her seagull 😴😂

30/08/2022

😂😂

Best part about coming home!

28/08/2022

I am now on holiday until Sunday 4th September. I will reply to any messages on my return, but should you have an urgent enquiry then I will get back to you as soon as I can 😊

27/08/2022

😫😫

Workers inundated with calls as people ‘have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding pets’

27/08/2022

Fame at last for our Pudding! The face of Wilko’s sprats 🥰😂🐟

14/08/2022

😂😂

12/08/2022

The last of the July photos 🥰🐶 Parker, Poppy, Winnie and Pippa, Millie, Poppy and Summer

12/08/2022

Beautiful girl Boo! 😍

12/08/2022

A couple of people have messaged me asking how they can keep their pets cool because they are struggling with this heat 🥵 they have also asked me why their pets are not eating as much as usually would.

It goes without saying that you should not walk your dog when it is too hot to do and you can see my other posts regarding safe walking temperatures 😊

Here are a few tips to keep your pets cool at home…

This is my dog Rea resting with a wet towel over her as she was panting. Some dogs won’t lie on a cool mat for long or at all, but if you wet a towel with cool water (not freezing cold water) they might lie on that or have it draped over their neck. You can also pop a damp towel in their armpit area and between their hind legs. You don’t leave the towels on for ages because they will trap air in after a while and make the dog hotter but they can bring down temperature initially. I also have a fan placed on the floor and I keep all windows closed and all blinds and curtains closed in the house. If you leave windows open and curtains open then the hot air from outside comes inside. My dogs do not have constant access to the garden, because it is way too hot for them to be lying out there… they would overheat fast, they could burn their paws on the hot ground and dogs can get sun burn just like we can!
Some dogs enjoy frozen banana cubes when it is hot, which are easy to make, just squash up bannana, add a little water and freeze it in ice cube trays over night. Don’t over feed the banana though and only feed it if your dog can tolerate banana! Clean all water bowls regularly and change the water in water bowls often too, so that it doesn’t get too warm and bad bacteria doesn’t begin to grow in the bowls 🤢

Cats will keep cool in shaded places, but you can also help them with fans and you can pop a damp towel in their bed or pop a small ice pack in the corner of their bed. My cat will tolerate being misted with some cool water, but some will not! Cats much prefer fresh water in general, so if the bowl isn’t clean and the water isn’t fresh they may avoid the water bowl.
My dogs and cat have a clean bowl for evey meal they every have, because again you don’t want any nasty bacteria to build up in your pets bowls.

Some pets may eat less during a heat wave, because like us, they are too hot to fancy anything to eat. You can try feeding them very early morning or in the evening when it has cooled down somewhat. You can also try adding in some fresh meat to tempt them, but I avoid giving my pets anything new, that could upset their tummy and give them diarrhoea, because the last thing you want to cause is dehydration during a heat wave! Try not to worry if their appetite does decrease this week, just make sure they are drinking enough water for now and if their appetite does not return when it is a cooler time of day or they stop eating anything at all then please contact your vet for advice 👍🏻

When it comes to pets that are usually kept outside, like rabbits and Guinea pigs, then please make sure their hutch is moved to a shaded area or provide shade with a patio umbrella. Never completely cover a hutch with a blanket or tarp because that will cause the hutch to heat up rather than cool down! Another good tip is to freeze water in an old fizzy pop bottle and leave that in a corner of the hutch to bring the temperature down and they can lie close to the bottle to keep cool. Make sure water bottles are cleaned regularly because they will go green otherwise due to the bacteria and algae accumulation. You can pop tasty leafy greens in the fridge or freezer so they can have a chilled snack or you can drench greens in water before feeding to your pet, but don’t over do fruit or greens because that could cause a gut problem!

I hope this helps 🥰

04/08/2022

27/07/2022

🥴😂

27/07/2022

27/07/2022

🥹🥰

Dogs are family 😊❤

26/07/2022

Little Digby on his walk today 🥰🐶

26/07/2022

Pud, Rea and Summer 🥰

26/07/2022

Parker and Flo today 🥰

22/07/2022

I have seen some very young children walking dogs by themselves recently and getting into difficulty, plus there is the recent increase in dog theft to consider! Dogs can react to things very quickly, and children cannot always read a dogs body language or get control of a dog quickly enough, if something happens 😫 So please consider the below, before letting your child walk your dog unsupervised. Also please, please don’t let them use extendable leads, on a path walk, because it only take a second for a dog to run into a road when the lock mechanism isn’t activated properly or activated at all! Twice recently I have seen a dog go from the path into the road, because a child is busy looking at their phone, and they haven’t locked the extendable lead 😱

22/07/2022

Plenty of water play lately 💦🕶

21/07/2022

I have done lots of home visits over the last few weeks due to warm weather. Lots of cuddles and indoor play was had 🥰 Flo even got the Champawpagne out! 😂

21/07/2022

Charlie, Pippa and Winnie enjoying a much cooler walk!

21/07/2022

https://www.facebook.com/reel/380145900894101?fs=e&s=cl

20/07/2022

While the weather may be cooler today, and it’s tempting to get back out for a long walk or crack on with some serious training, I would avoid any strenuous activity for your dogs for a couple of days until your houses or kennels ambient temperatures are also cooler… if your dog can’t cool down properly after their exercise then heat stroke is still a risk 🥰

18/07/2022

It breaks my heart that I have seen two different people walking their dog this afternoon! 💔 Please, please stop walking dogs in this heat, because you could kill them or at the very least make them extremely unwell. Our dogs look to us to make decisions for them, because we are meant to love and protect them, like they love and protect us!

17/07/2022

⚠️ Please note that i will not be walking any dogs on Monday 18th or Tuesday 19th August. The temperature is going to be extremely hot, on both of these days, and as always the dogs wellbeing comes first. I will be doing home visits instead of walks, for those of you that are not working from home on these days, so the dogs will have plenty of fuss and company, but they are safe indoors keeping cool 🥰

14/07/2022

Our Pud lost a dogs worth of fur when I clipped him! Nearly scared the cat to death with this Pud replica 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

14/07/2022

🌿Be aware, adders about!

We have had some reports of adder bites in the area. Your dogs can be harmlessly and inquisitively wandering across the Chase when they can come across an adder. If bitten, it can take less than an hour for the area to start to swell.

🐍What to do if your dog is bitten by an adder?
▪️ Bring them to us as soon as possible! The sooner you come the better.
▪️ No exercise! Carry your dog to reduce to spread of the venom.
▪️ Keep them warm and comfortable during travel (it’s very painful).

🐍How will you know?
▪️ Adders only tend to bite in self defence so will most likely be on your dog’s face or legs and it will start to swell. You may also see two puncture wounds! Swelling can escalate quickly!
▪️ Your dog will display signs of pain as adder bites are very painful!

🐍Other symptoms include:
- Pale gums
- Bruising
- Hypersalivation
- Lameness
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Dehydration
- Restlessness or lethargy

If left untreated, your dog may collapse, have blood clotting problems, tremors or seizures. Severity depends on location of bite, amount and potency of venom, size of dog and urgency of treatment.

🐍What do we do?
▪️ Treat for shock and swelling.
▪️ Pain management!
▪️ If symptoms are severe, anti-venom is available.

If you ever have any concerns with your dogs, or suspect an adder bite, please contact us immediately.

03/07/2022

One of the saddest parts of my job is the sheer volume of rehoming requests I get from dog owners. Several times a week I receive a call, message or email, and it is always the same - Do I “know somebody who wants a [6-18 months old] [highly energetic working dog]? The dog needs more activities than the family can provide.”
This week it has been a Heeler, a Lab and yesterday a Border Collie. Other weeks it is a German Shorthair pointer, a German Shepherd and a Goldendoodle. Or a Weimaraner, a Malinois, an Aussie, a Husky … you get the idea.
First - no, I likely do not know anybody who would be a good match for the dog. I have a list of people looking for dogs - currently it has zero names - and a list of people with high-energy breeds wanting to re-home their dogs. This list is very, very long.
Please do not get a puppy if you cannot meet the needs of his breed. The vast majority of dogs needs more than a full food bowl and a pat on the head. Especially during the first 2 years of a dog’s life, expect him to require DAILY training. Throughout the dog’s life you should plan on providing enrichment, mental stimulation and physical activities. You have work, errands to run, a family to take care off, TV shows to watch, books to read - but your dog only has YOU.
If you chose a working-bred dog, expect him to not be content with a 15 minute leash walk. Your dog needs more. He is only doing what he was bred to do - having a high energy level, intense desire to move and work, no quits.
If you want a beginner dog or a laid-back dog - there are plenty of lap dog breeds who have lower exercise needs (though they still need some!). There are plenty of adult or senior dogs in rescue. There are retired racing Greyhounds. There are shelters looking for volunteers and fosters - that way you can get your feet wet before committing to a certain breed.
If you get a puppy of a working breed, expect him to take up a big chunk of your time for many years to come!
Please don't first acquire and then rehome your dogs because of who they are - instead, invest time into researching your chosen breed upfront.

03/07/2022

😂😂