Help the kids connect with family’s pets

By Ev Elyn DalE Special to The Enterprise

Have kids and pets? Let the fun begin with some of these cool ideas.

n Read aloud to a pet. Children’s reading skills improve while pets enjoy quiet time with kids they love. Bonus: young readers gain self-confidence because pets don’t correct their mistakes.

n Dogs and kids can have fun and cool off with a kiddie pool filled with some water and a few rubber squeaky toys.

n Pup picnics. Invite a few friends with their friendly dogs. Make it special. Provide homemade healthy dog treats and plenty of toys for the pups to share.

n Camp out in the backyard with your dog and a tent. Campouts can be during the day or overnight. Treats for kids and dogs always welcome.

n Build a Cat Fort where kitty can feel safe in a confined space constructed with a few boxes, pillows and blankets.

n Make toys to play with a cat or dog. Kids gain confidence making toys and learn how to

Paws for ThoughT

play with pets appropriately. Pets get attention and mental stimulation. Kids and pets develop a special bond.

n Teach a new trick. Yes, with treats they like, cats as well as dogs can learn tricks.

n Train a dog or cat to walk on leash. Make sure you’ve got a harness that fits properly before training in a secure space.

n Make summer treats. Combine some wet dog or cat food with water or salt-free broth. Freeze in ice cube trays and serve.

Remember to keep pets calm and cool during summer heat. Pets need plenty of fresh water to drink, cool shaded places to rest when indoors or outdoors and maybe a cool treat or two. Cooling pads help pets stay cool inside or outside. Rechargeable phase change cooling mats are especially “cool” because they cool pets by absorbing their body heat when they lie on the mat. These mats are recharged by either placing them in a dark cool room overnight, or in a

Pets of the week

Enterprise staff

Lots of animals are waiting for “forever homes” at the Yolo County Animal Shelter, 2640 E. Gibson Road in Woodland.

Among them is Damion (A202797), a unique-looking kitten with a charming personality. Damion is 11 weeks old and can't wait to have a forever family to spoil him. Damion is playful and cuddly, according to a shelter volunteer.

Also hoping for a good home is Flip Flop (A189789), a darling 2-year-old Chihuahua, who has a twin brother named Crocs. They are both sweet lap dogs that love to play, then love to plop in your lap for cuddles. Both dogs are charming and have bios on AdoptMeApp for more info.

For information on adopting, contact adopt ycas@gmail.com. All shelter animals are up-to-date on vaccinations, microchipped, and spayed or neutered.

Staff is available to assist via phone during business hours at 530-6685287. Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. To meet any adoptable YCAS animals, visit friendsof ycas.org. To volunteer, sign up at tinyurl.com/yolovolu nteerapp. Follow on at @ ycas.shelter and Instagram at @yoloanimalshelter.

At Rotts of Friends refrigerator (not freezer) for 15-30 minutes. car even with the window cracked during warm weather. When it’s 80 degrees outside, your car will be 100 degrees in just 10 minutes!

Their Cats This Summer https:// cattime.com/lifestyle/22389ways-kids-bond-cats-summer

Language, Translated https:// cattime.com/lifestyle/233- speaking-cat-feline-bodylanguage-translated n How to Speak Dog by Understanding Canine Body Language https://outwardhound.com/furtropolis/petparenting/how-to-read-dogbody-language n 4 Frozen Cat Treats to Keep Kitty Cool https://www.rover. com/blog/diy-frozen-cat-treats/ n 10 DIY Summer Treats for Your Dog https://www.rover. com/uk/blog/10-diy-summer- original “residence”) in Davis. Despite having never met dogs, he quickly integrated with our crew of 3 adult cats and 3 big dogs. He especially loves Gromit, our Staffordshire Terrier mix, who couldn’t be happier to have a new kitten in the house. cue sites. It wasn’t long before

“Our newest addition is a powerful force, so we renamed him ‘Zeus’ and sometimes call him ‘Little Cat Z’ after the tiniest cat in Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. Like Little Cat Z, Zeus seems to have ‘Voom’ under his hat.

CourTesy PhoTo we spotted an adorable little grey kitten with tufted ears.

“Maybe it was fate. He was originally named ‘Davis’ because he’d been found in a culvert in our hometown. From there, he’d traveled to Santa Rosa to be fostered by a wonderful motherdaughter team through Dogwood Animal Rescue. We met him at his foster home, quickly fell in love, and brought him back to our home (and his

“Dogwood Animal Rescue and its volunteers are amazing. They were extremely responsive and helpful, and Zeus’ foster family did a wonderful job socializing a little kitten who had been abandoned early in life. Having a new, rambunctious, and funny kitten zooming around has helped ease the pain of losing two cats. We are looking forward to many more years together.”

— Evelyn Dale of Davis is a volunteer and advocate for shelter animal welfare. Contact her at pawsforthought.comments@ gmail.com This column appears monthly.

Animal Rescue, you’ll find Trix, a 9-week-old Anatolian shepherd cross puppy. She has three sisters and a brother also waiting for wonderful homes. Trix is a roly-poly, happy, carefree pup. She is spayed, microchipped and up to date on vaccines. She comes with free lifetime obedience training classes. Trix is ready to go to her new home. To meet her call Renee at 530-681-1326

Potter is a 1½-year-old, very moldable, purebred Rottweiler who has been through obedience training. He is super-friendly with people and other dogs. Potter is a healthy, handsome medium size dog.

The next Rotts of Friends adoption event is from 8 to

11 a.m. Saturday, July 22, at 34505 County Road 29 in Woodland. Come by 10 a.m., as it takes at least an hour to meet and adopt a dog; everyone who will be living with the dog should come out to meet it. Bring proof of homeownership, such as a mortgage statement or property tax bill. If you rent, bring proof that you are allowed to have a dog in your home, such as a pet clause in your lease or a note from your landlord.

All dogs from Rotts of Friends are healthy, microchipped, up-to-date on their vaccines and come with free lifetime obedience-training classes. For information, visit facebook. com/rottsoffriends.