Black Tie Pet Care

26/01/2024

Will be trialing out a new online payment and invoicing system for the sake of convenience and taxes. Text me with email addresses if you’d like to be part of the trial 😂 no idea how it’ll go, but we shall see.

30/09/2023

30/09/2023

In 1986, Time Magazine called Charles Bukowski a "laureate of American lowlife".
There are worse things to be called.

"Having many cats is good. If you feel bad, you look at the cats and you feel better, because they know that everything is just the way it is. You don't have to be nervous about anything. And they know it. They are saviors. The more cats you have, the longer you will live. If you have a hundred cats, you will live ten times longer than if you have ten. One day, this will be known and people will have thousands of cats."

~Charles Bukowski~

27/09/2023

Important information for dog and cat owners regarding grain free diets.

We used to feed our cats grain free, but very much glad we stopped after Link was diagnosed with heart disease a few days ago. Not to say it was the cause or the only cause, but could have been a contributing factor.

Our “The More You Know” topic this week is Grain Free/ Designer Pet Diets.

If you’ve been down the pet food aisle of any store recently, you’ve seen the overwhelming amount of products from which to choose. You will also notice products available announcing (usually quite obviously) to be grain free. Is this the best diet for your pet? Do pets have the same intolerances to grains as commonly as humans? Come learn more with us.
Ordinary pet diets contain a protein source (typically chicken, beef, pork, or fish), a starch (usually grains) and, sometimes, a vegetable. Most traditional pet foods are made from byproducts of human food production. That means your pet may have chicken in their food, but it is likely not an entire chicken breast like the one on your dinner plate. Premium dog food brands may cost more, but will typically contain higher quality, more digestible ingredients than lower cost foods. In comparison, designer diets target pets or owners who prefer certain qualities in dog food.
Designer diets are marketed as grain free to prevent complications in pets with very rare sensitivities. Grain allergies still remain mainly a human issue. Dogs are omnivores, meaning that they eat meat and plants, including grains. Some people purchase grain free food in a misguided effort to reduce food allergies such as gastrointestinal (GI) upsets and itchy skin issues. While a small percentage of dogs may have sensitivities to grains, the vast majority of food allergies are actually linked to common proteins like beef and chicken, not carbohydrates like grains.
Grain free or designer diets may substitute grains with non-grain carbohydrates such as potatoes, carrots, cranberries, lentils, chickpeas, beans, or peas. Unfortunately, these alternative carbohydrates provide less fiber than grains and may cause or worsen GI issues. The fiber in grains aids in normal stool elimination and also contributes important nutrients to the diet. Important nutrients including iron, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and others are all found in grain. It is due to the deficiency of these essential nutrients that grain free foods and designer diets have been linked to heart failure in cats and dogs as young as two years of age. While once thought to be solely a thiamine deficiency, the complete cause of the failure is yet unknown as these designer diets are still relatively new to the pet industry and undergoing research.
Veterinary cardiologists, nutritionists, and the FDA are investigating how diet impacts cardiac disease. Some of the implicated diets containing grain substitutes as primary ingredients may be a factor. Research is also looking into the rare relationship between taurine deficiency in dog food and heart disease. There is also additional evidence that there may be food ingredients (exotic meats, fruits, vegetables) that are toxic to the heart. While research into grain-free diets and heart disease is still in the early stages, bringing awareness to the potential link is important in helping you and your veterinarian determine which diet is best for your pet.

20/06/2023

I’m back to offering pet sitting services, but I will only be offering for cats for the time being. $30 daily for Mason City.

31/08/2022

You were the best supervisor I ever had. 💔

17/06/2022

After some time to get into the swing of things, we are back to doing our delivery and pet care gigs 🙂

Looking forward to seeing you soon ❤️

27/03/2022

Tuesday I was delivering orders for DoorDash and started going into labor. Victoria Kay Watkins came exactly one month early, and while I’m quite excited for this and to get back to work, I’m gonna need a while to recover.

A big thank you to everyone that has sent us gifts and has for everyone being so patient with us about pet care gigs. We are looking forward to seeing all your fur children again soon, too.

20/03/2022

Sorry it’s been a very long time since we have posted, but we’re enjoying our time at the farm this weekend.

We are expecting our daughter, Victoria, in just a few weeks so I am not taking any pet care requests after April 1st. Aaron may be available depending on the pet care job and how baby and I are feeling.

Thanks for all your continued love and support. 😁

24/01/2022

21/01/2022

My favorite for sure 🥰

10/01/2022

Because we are honest people, aaron and I want to let our beloved pet parents know that we have tested positive for covid and to let you know we are quarantining for the time being. We will not be able to do any pet care for the next two weeks and hope we have not gotten anyone in our care sick 😞

24/12/2021

Five years ago today I started my pet care hustle 🙂 Ava and Kiki were my first ever drop-in pet sitting clients.

20/12/2021

🤷🏼‍♀️

16/12/2021

We found out this morning that I’ll be having an emergency surgery on Friday so we will be working our current bookings only for the remainder of December and the kitties I’ve booked in January. We will let you know going forward if/when we will resume bookings.

Sorry for any inconvenience this causes 😞

13/12/2021

We’ve been getting a lot of questions, so allow me to clear the air for those who haven’t already heard: Aaron and I are expecting our first child, a girl, on April 22nd.

While I personally am not accepting many pet care requests for myself due to the complications I’ve been having with my pregnancy, Aaron IS still booking appointments to watch dogs, livestock, etc.

At this time I am still taking requests to spend time with kitties 🙂

If you are wanting pet sitting services, we are still taking requests 🙂 Hope everyone is having a great year, and here’s to much happiness, health, and wellness in 2022!

25/08/2021

My beloved pet human.

What's your name?! Mine is My Precious Personal Groomer 😻

29/07/2021

So fancy

29/07/2021

The manners are lacking

29/07/2021

Farm life 🙂

28/07/2021

We had fun doing this :) we’ve got all of these in our house. Where do your cats belong in the groups?

Each and every cat is a special being unto themselves! ... Read more

28/07/2021

Aww!

25/07/2021

Farm life pet care :)

25/07/2021

Farm life pet care photos 🙂

23/07/2021

If you’re feeling down or bored, feel free to check out the several photos and videos I’ve uploaded of our pet care assignments from the last few weeks 🙂 we’ve been quite busy, but we’re back to normal volume and are open to new bookings!

23/07/2021

Hawkeye and Duke

23/07/2021

Murphy and Doug :)

23/07/2021

Bumblebee

23/07/2021

Pretty lady ❤️ Bumblebee

23/07/2021

Hose Time with Schatzi and Jazz