Snuggles Inn Cat Boarding

09/21/2024

Hello again! What? You're posting again... so soon?

I've been looking back at pictures from 2009. Then I did the math. As we drift into October (2024) it means we are entering our 16th year with Snuggles Inn. It's a labor of love. Pays the taxes - and Keeps Nancy and I re-tired.

So - quit feeding your fur baby kibble, check out snugglesinn.com and then give us a call.

We'll be here.

Seattle's Favorite Kitty Hotel. Best Cat Boarding. The Area's Only All Suites Experience

06/04/2023

A year after my last (terse) post and not much has changed. We're still here... working hard at being RE-tired. Nancy and I are still taking about half as many clients as we used to. That allows our tired old bones the ability to provide the same exemplary service we always have. With all our heart and soul. On that note - I'll not regurgitate last year's post, the jist of which is that if folks are going to ask me to be part of their fur babies' life, then I will have a say in the quality of that life.
If you haven't read catinfo.org (yet) ... save yourself a lecture - and in turn - a good deal of suffering by your kitty.

A veterinarian explains the basics on properly feed cats which are strict carnivores, and the link between a poor quality diet and common diseases.

06/09/2022

Just a quick update... seeing as I haven't posted in a couple of years?! (Speaks to my personal dislike of FB perhaps). At any rate - Snuggles is still here after soooo many years. But! - it is harder to get into and it certainly isn't cheap. We are taking about half as many guests as we used to - and - having many dozens of existing clients, it means the chances of securing a spot for newbies is indeed limited. If you are researching Snuggles for the first time - please see our website AND go to catinfo.org to save yourself a lecture. Especially if your Vet has talked you into putting "prescription" food into your kitty (at three times the retail price). Don't ask me to put that garbage into your kitty. Nancy generally will not allow sick kitties into Snuggles anymore. That is especially true of those afflicted with diabetes. Which is a shame - as Vets rarely guide pet parents on how to affect a cure. (Your cat does not have to be diabetic). It all starts with diet.
If you'd like some advice, I'm happy to give it.
Enjoy Jun-u-ary.

Jerry

06/14/2020

Here at Snuggles.... business as usual. We were always fastidious, taking great care to assure that kitties are healthy when they get here, and if at all possible, leave even healthier. That hasn’t changed.

So... now it’s up to you. We understand, and we’ve been patient. But it’s time. Time to get up - get out. Are you not sick of Jun-u-ary? Take a road trip to... somewhere. Go discover the sand dunes in Oregon, or head east, over the mountains. There’s a whole other world over there.
Just avoid Hawaii for a bit longer... unless you want to be stuck inside your lovely accommodations - forbidden to leave. (Still beats our weather IMHO)

At any rate. A very wise man (my father) once said: “Life goes on”. The first time he uttered those words, I didn’t understand what he was actually saying. I actually thought he was being a little flip - given the situation. But I would learn the hard way - as each of us must - that what he meant, is that the living have a duty to do just that... Live. Yes, there will be periods in our lives, encompassing many months, perhaps even years that we face challenges and must make adjustments. However, whatever... the duty remains to make the most of it. To scratch and claw your way back and seek fulfillment. Otherwise, those that came before us, those that didn’t give up, were wasting their time.

There is life after Covid... although I need to rephrase. There will be, I believe life WITH Covid. Perhaps we’ll actually start being healthier as a society on a whole - taking those extra little precautions when its “Cold and Flu Season”. Perhaps Fall and Winter will get a new moniker... CFC Season. Cold/Flu/Covid. As such we won’t be so casual about how we treat people around us. We won’t let that one jerk come to work anyways, and get us all sick in the process. We’ll become prodigious hand-washers. Etc.
Sanitation stations are going to pop up alongside every public and many private entrances. A whole new industry will evolve. And the face coverings. Behind every garish mask lies opportunity. My sister, a gifted seamstress, will come out with her own designer line of bridal facial protection for the modern couple. Everyone in the crowd wearing matching embroidered face coverings.
(Get on it Sis).

In the mean time, before the big event... go find a venue where your loved ones can gather together.
Somewhere out of town... and bring me your kitty.

Jerry

06/02/2020

Bigs came to me Seven short years ago. He was very much responsible for me becoming a better care giver. The first Snuggles client to "stick" ... his other Dad, (Uncle Roy) kept extending his stay - "afraid of making him sick again."
Bigs and I went through Hell together - curing him of his diabetes - so he could go home. Actually "Biggers" hardly ever complained - no matter how many times I tried sticking his ear, (which was a lot until I got it figured out) as long as there were salmon treats involved.
As it came to pass, he just ended up staying. Bigs was my bud. I'd just have to give a whistle and up on my lap he'd be.
We ended up adopting Roy as well, and he and I were great friends. They are together again, both sorely missed.

03/21/2020

Read the label... simple statement. Flippant ir not, We‘re all capable. Lets do it together.
But first, why? After all, Mr ”Cat Listener” - or whatever. (Such as, why should you care - you’re just the hired help) how dare you, what the hell is your problem?

My problem is, I’m selfish. There... I said it. Its all purely for the sense of self preservation. You see, its a hell of a lot easier taking care of kitties that are healthy. And way easier on my psyche to not have to get those messages regarding a kitty I have cared for - for many years - that has been diagnosed with renal failure, diabetes, and etc., and more often then not, dispatched across the Rainbow Bridge, said trip precipitated by the very fact that taking care of a health challenged pet can be... challenging.

That I am able to share my knowledge and carefully selected sources of research - reviewed multiple times a year - with those hundreds of clients that are willing to stop and listen and then take a proactive posture - and in many cases, get off the merry-go-round of meds prescribed to fix a problem brought about by a deficient diet - and see their fur babies flourish does indeed ease the way forward. But it is never ending. So I’ll keep whining.

This is just a look at dry food (kibble) but applies equally to the junk that ends up in all those cans of “Granny’s Pot Pie” etc. Once again recognizing what a challenge it can be to even decide what to do given the choices. All I can say is, don’t trust - and verify. Just because the label has the words Science, or Grain Free, Weight Management, etc. doesn’t mean its good science, that what replaced the grain is any better, or that feeding a calorie rich carbohydrate laden diet will somehow fix your obese kitty.

Let’s look at a very popular brand commonly touted by Veterinarians - that oddly enough, fill their shelves with like-kind food stuffs - more often than not, labeled as “prescription”.
Side Note: There are NO ingredients in so-called prescription diets that would require any sort of professional endorsement from someone with medical training. It’s all BS. If bold enough... ask your Vet to share the secret. Then share it with all the Snuggles Snobs out there that can’t seem to get a straight answer.

Back to story time:

-Science Diet Chicken-
Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Brown Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Oat Fiber, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.

So? Let’s break it down. We all remember when we were kids, and our Granmothers having to shoo her kitties away from the garden, to get out of snap peas - no? No
The good news is this particular recipe left out “powdered cellulose”. The sadder news is the Beet Pulp - which works great for horses - so what the heck?
That said, the only significant ingredient listed that belongs in a cat -maybe- is chicken. Which is BTW... also the very same protein most often targeted as causing “food” allergies. Only thing is - the chicken in that bag of kibble really isn’t chicken anymore and hence the allergic response. It’s like calling the bag it came in a tree. (Said bag at one time in its life cycle - powdered cellulose - which did indeed come from a tree) So, your kitties’ “All Natural” “Protein Rich” “Grain Free”, etc. food should perhaps come plastered with a picture of a splendid tree, complete with a chicken roosting in it.
The rest of the ingredients are just filler and the vitamins and minerals that are required to bring the contents up to the minimum standards as set by the self-regulated pet food industry. If one actually watches the video - Pet Fooled - then we will recall the one researcher sending her nasty concoction labeled “Old Boot” to the lab and actually getting certification as meeting those AAFCO standards.

I have posted - in the past - the subjects of bio-availability and the difference between survive and thrive and it becomes quite evident in the outward appearance of our pets. People are usually pretty surprised that I can tell at first glance, that a kitty is on a dry food diet. Its never obvious to the owner since Fluffy’s appearance has changed so subtly over time. But years of chronic dehydration and consumption of a heavy carbohydrate, low-quality-protein based diet indeed does damage and speaks further, to losing your loved one in eight years, vs eighteen. So sure... Your Mom’s kitty lived to nineteen while consuming dry food its entire life. We’ll leave out the discussion of outdoor dining opportunities that provided an essential balance.
There are lots of marvelous pretty packages out there - assuring the quality of contents, backed by marketing that pulls hard on our heart strings, and those (sadly) touted by others on your pet’s care team. Sometimes there’s even a label printed large enough that you don’t need a magnifying glass in order to read it. There are many as well, that present with an alternate language. I’m willing to bet that most folks will understand the contents of the bag just as well, whether you can make the words out - or not. Heck, I’m sure everyone reading this knows what “Pyridoxine Hydrochloride” is and gets a good dose of it themselves every day - no?

02/22/2020

Grain Free... whoopee!
So I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for some months now (not whining about anything) and I figure you guys must be desperate for a scolding by now.
Lets call this one a simple admonishment... but! with a self help tool attached. Search for a little documentary (Free on Prime) called “Pet Fooled”. The original title graphic gave away the underlying theme as it inserted the L and E askew within the word food, so one could quickly ascertain what’s coming next. At any rate, It’s an insightful look at the inner workings of the pet food industry and what actually goes into all the pretty packages. I would suggest skipping what ever meal you may have planned for yourself prior to viewing, and no doubt you’ll remain a bit squeamish in regards the next.
IF... after watching it - combined with all my other musings over the last couple of years - you are still inclined to feed your beloved fur balls cardboard from a bag (kibble) - or those canned offerings containing some of the more creative wholesome ingredients (my most recent favorite... “powdered turkey”) then I’ve got nothing left to say. About healthy diets anyways.
I realize as it stands there is no perfect answer, short of keeping a good supply of live feeder mice on hand (Nature’s perfect pre-packaged diet) I have to leave it to all of you to do your own research. To question every claim from every source. Read the labels. Don’t trust - and verify.
As always, as your Pet Care Giver of choice, we are here to lend advice regarding your four legged children's overall care regimen, including diet and the role it plays in managing health and vitality.

JH

12/18/2019

I just wanted to (briefly) stop and express our enduring thanks to all of our Snuggles Inn Family Members.
As we have grown over the years we have never lost sight of our commitment to providing the best care in the industry and do not take lightly the trust all you kitties place in us to let your parents galavant around the world while you stay behind, having a way better time. ; )

Happy Holidays!

09/18/2019

Our long term guest “Neo” marks the grand re-opening of our Kitty Garden. Weather permitting, select guests can once again enjoy supervised outdoor adventures in this entirely remodeled special place just for cats... (and the errant crawly things). Ask Nancy on how to book an outing for your fur babes’ next visit.

08/18/2019

We have a starting position for a part-time person for morning or afternoon (3 hr) shift.
This is not a job for just anyone “who had kitties growing up” nor those foolish enough to think they are the next cat whisperer.
If don’t know it all, haven’t got it all figured out, and are willing to listen and learn and follow instructions implicitly... then read on.
As with any care-giving position, it is physically and emotionally demanding and not all purrs and cuddles. It requires care and compassion, patience and restraint, faith and trust and a positive hands-on, can do attitude. Candidates must be physically able to reach and stretch as well as lift and carry a minimum of 25 pounds. Customer service is our top priority which demands the ability to interact with guests and their owners on a one-on-one basis with compassion, dignity and grace as well as the maturity to deliver on the added responsibility of caring for someone else's fur baby. Preference will be given to those applicants with real-world "organizational" pet care experience that are able to observe, interact, comfort and play with wonderful sweet little fur balls - as well as their polar opposites. This goes hand in hand with food prep, dispensing medications, and the ever present clean-up. Must be immune to the three "P's". Yes, its not all cuddles. There is simply no way to clean up after the more creative mess makers without getting down on one’s hands and knees, wading into som**hing, while shrugging it off. If this seems just too good to be true then you just might be the next Snuggles Associate with an opportunity to advance into full time if desired.
Please - no calls or messenger messages. Forward what you have for a resume to [email protected]

06/20/2019

Whaaat? You’re full for the Fourth?
Yup.... And filling up August - fast.
So look ahead guys.
Seafair will be here before you know it!

05/04/2019

Your Diabetic Cat
[As posted on Komo 4 news FB page - (but probably won't show up) in response to this channels less than informative presentation regarding diabetes in companion animals. The story underscored the rising cost of insulin, and the difficulty that many pet parents find in budgeting for everything required to manage the disease. The story did not delve into the outrageous expense of so-called prescription diets.] At any rate...

Feline diabetes.
It is an anecdotal statistic that 30 percent of newly diagnosed diabetic cats will not survive a year. With the rise in the cost of insulin in recent times - that number could be far worse. Many are given up to shelters, even abandoned, or left untreated due to the high cost of management. It need not be the case.

I don't know how to fix the pervasive attitude of the overwhelming majority of Pet care professionals, that believe diabetes is not preventable and not curable. The cold hard fact is, that diabetes in cats is 99 percent man made. It is a disease that can be cured and/or far better managed - thus reducing the cost to do so and helping to alleviate financial and emotional hardship. But it takes an educated pet parent - taking a proactive stance. That part I can fix. You can help by passing this post along.

Many Vets just aren't up to speed on how to bring diabetic kitties back from the brink. Care givers will be sent home with a bag of prescription food and a vial of insulin... and told to blindly pump that insulin into their loved one - without testing blood glucose levels. Some will include a warning on the measures to take should your kitty go "hypo"... because in following directions - and not bothering to test - you've now dropped your kitty's blood sugar to a point they crash. Even if they prompt folks to test - the instructions are to shoot for an equilibrium of 200 to 250... thus "regulated". Considered below "dangerous" levels it is a ridiculous assumption especially when some of the insulin varieties provide for such dramatic swings that cannot be understood with a couple of tests.
Knowing what the normal range of blood sugar should be... Ask yourself if you would do that to yourself - or your child. Just shooting for a happy medium, or simply not bother. I daresay not. Many kitties simply don't survive it.

Many patients may be misdiagnosed. Perhaps borderline diabetic - But!!! Consider that blood glucose levels can spike 100 points simply due to the stress of a Vet visit. Hasty "curves" are done and way too much insulin is prescribed. It is simply irresponsible to prescribe insulin to a kitty presenting with a BG level of 300 and ignore the diet connection. Proper diet is imperative. Home testing is imperative. If your Vet has not taught you how to test - learn. At least half of Newly diagnosed diabetic cats will show immediate improvement in Blood Glucose levels with simple diet change. The successful diet change does not include anything in a bag. So-called prescription or otherwise. It is an outrageous notion to profess to treat a disease with the same stuffs that created it in the first place. Its like saying you've cured a m**h addict because you've switched them to co***ne.

Cats are uniquely designed to get their moisture from their food. Making any canned/wet food better than kibble. Cats on kibble diets are chronically dehydrated. That doesn't mean canned food is perfect. Just far superior. Your cat is an obligate carnivore. The bio-availability of nutrients that allow your fur baby's organs to function properly are not delivered via glorified cardboard in any kibble diet. Quality protein for cats cannot be delivered in a bag. The need for quality protein is center stage. Avoiding fillers and toxic preservatives within wet food diets - with misleading labels - can be a challenge as well. Beet pulp and powdered cellulose don't belong in you cat! Pea flour and so-called potato protein? Just wrong. In short, read the label. Apply the KISS m**hod. Simple ingredients found in many of the freeze dried diets are an excellent basis for your Kitty's long term health.

The discussion requires much more than a quick FB rant. Bottom line is - there is a cure. It will work for 80 percent of newly diagnosed diabetic cats. It can reduce the required levels of insulin in those whose liver and pancreas remain out of whack, thus greatly reducing the cost of managing the disease. But... it takes knowledge (readily available) patience, and dedication. Don't get me wrong. This is no walk in the park for many of you. Your kitty is unique - your situation is more than likely very different from many others. If you have a diabetic cat - particularly newly diagnosed - try to avoid the onslaught of well meaning - but misdirected - advice from the kitty diabetes chat threads. Don't trust, and verify. Truth be told, it simply isn't som**hing everyone can handle. But love is a powerful force. And your Fur Baby deserves that you give it a try.

I speak from experience.

JH

03/22/2019

Cats (and Dogs) and Diet.
This is all cobbled from many previous rants that I have authored over the years. And actually the body of an email to someone who knows that “The Cat Guy” is very much a Dog Guy as well.
*****************************************************
Key word - though not spelled out in the particular article (below) is bioavailability.
Taurine is an essential amino acid. Cats are hyper-obligate carnivores because those particular fur balls do not make it themselves. (endogenous - or som**hing like that)
They must get it from their food. And beet pulp and pea flour doesn’t contain it. Nor does so-called potato “protein” (my favorite). So the pet food manufacturers add it.
To cat food. You’ll find few and far between canine “recipes” have it added.
You and I - and dogs - can produce taurine within our built-in laboratories. But here’s what tips the needle for dogs on the carnivore scale. Turns out dogs either suck at making it - or they need more of it than they can synthesize. Bottom line is they need more meat.
Of course you don’t see food manufacturers touting that their crap is meat free - or protein reduced. (But the butthead that formulated Royal Canine’s garbage brags openly about it)
We get sold “grain free” - and of course most popular now - “gluten free”!
I’ll get kitty foods touting Low Fat! Like that’s a good thing for creatures that are D deficient.
Protein created in the lab doesn’t have taurine. In fact taurine is pretty fragile. The simple process of grinding meat can break it down. Does that fix Mr C? No. But its a piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately there are way more pieces to that puzzle than anyone even understands, and the big money goes into how to create cheap pet food diets - not what happens to our four legged children after they consume the crud.
The real damage done from crap diet happens slowly. Renal, heart, liver/pancreas damage takes a few years to show up. I’ll wager that if you were to ask your Vet about the chances of your kitty having renal failure, they’ll answer that it’s not a question of IF - but that most likely their kidneys will become compromised by the time they are but eight years old! That’s the prevailing mindset we are faced with today ... that all cats are genetically predisposed to having crappy organs. I’m not buying it and neither should you.
The actual bright side - sensitivities (allergies) - can come to the fore sooner. That’s the wake up call. That’s when more often than not, one of my other favorite words gets used by veterinarians ... “idiopathic”. (Some realize that it actually means that they are an idiot). Antibiotics and so-called prescription diets get thrown at dry itchy skin - think “secondary infection” and most inappropriately... Nasal / occular discharge, which may or may not be caused by herpes but is an easy fix if it is. (Another essential amino acid. L-Lysine). Not drugs.
And not “prescription” diets that don’t contain one single ingredient that your neighbor’s handyman or for that matter - three year old child, would be precluded from writing said prescription for. Please if I’m wrong - show me. I’ll give you a free night at the Inn! Otherwise I’ll keep behaving most selfishly - because as a care Giver, (not taker) - I’d rather look after well kitties. And the occasional pup when I get the chance!

Peace

https://www.petfoodindustry.com/blogs/7-adventures-in-pet-food/post/7469-update-fda-pet-food-ingredient-and-dcm-investigation

A webinar on FDA’s investigation into a possible link between pet food ingredients and canine DCM highlighted the need for further investigation and research.

03/22/2019

My kitty just won’t come when called.... his name is Getdown!

02/23/2019

Snuggles Inn has been kicking around officially for ten years now. Here is an anniversary photo of sorts -
My little Princess... Cookie, Feb 20th 2009
Hanging out in the "Winter" Room.

Send a message to learn more

02/16/2019

I've passed along this particular URL sooo many times -
https://catinfo.org/the-origin-of-catinfo-org/
But I wanted to focus on this particular page as it speaks so much to the similar journey Nancy and I have found ourselves involved with, since kitties came on the scene, (long before Snuggles) and our utter ignorance those many years ago - regarding the very basic idea of what cats should be eating. I would encourage everyone to spend some time on this particular site as it holds such a wealth of information for all things cat health and nutrition.

Peace

02/04/2019

I haven't written in a while. It seems I rarely do without ranting about health and diet - and that can certainly get old. However sometimes putting "pen to paper" is simply a cathartic act, and this is just one of those moments.
My job - if nothing else - is a labor of love and I wouldn't trade it for multiple construction sites. Every day brings with it a great deal of joy and all too often heartbreak, as we learn of the passing of one of "our" fur babies.
This past week was no exception, and we will dearly miss two of our favorite big guys: Dickens and Figaro.
We are so very grateful to their respective parents for sharing them with us. As I have written before, with life comes grief and without love, it would certainly seem unbearable. So if I haven't mentioned it lately, we love all you guys and we appreciate the trust you place in us each and every day.
JH

09/07/2018

Thanks to Carla for sending me this link!
https://thesciencedog.wordpress.com/2018/08/30/the-heart-of-the-matter/
As a pet care provider I see the constant (and increasingly) negative impact resulting from all the inappropriate, nutrition deficient diets that are the mainstay of the pet food industry. Please become informed. Please try to have an understanding of what you’re putting in your pet(s) and the long term effect it will have on their health and on the flipside... Your wellbeing.

In mid-July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an alert to veterinarians and pet owners regarding reports of increased incidence of a heart disease called canine dilated cardiomy…