05.03.2012Join The BooBooLution!

BooBooLoon® brand Protective Petwear inflatable humane collars was first launched on March 24, 2010 at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando. The inflatable collars were actually invented for owner Marcy Colangelo’s Boxer who had skin cancer surgery. Her beloved pet was sent home in an Elizabethan style collar to keep her from harming her wounds. Marcy couldn’t bear to use the collar, which was way too uncomfortable for her fur baby. Why bring a pet even more discomfort when they’re already hurt? To remedy the problem Marcy tried several alternative softer collars, but still wasn’t satisfied.

After a year of testing prototypes of what would become the perfect protective collar, the BooBooLoon® was born! With hard work, devotion and of course, a huge love for animals, the company has grown and spread the BooBoo gospel all over the world!

It has definitely paid off.

“We are now selling BooBooLoons in 11 countries with great success overseas,” Marcy explained.

Pets all over are now healing in our comfortable collars instead of those horrible, outdated plastic cones! If that wasn’t exciting enough, our work has just been recognized by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz!

On Saturday, April 21, Marcy received a Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award from the Congresswoman at her South Florida Small Business Workshop. She also had a photo opportunity with the Chairwoman of the U.S. Democratic National Committee.

Pictured here is Marcy’s son Michael, husband Vincent, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, Marcy and Miguel Olivares, a Senior International Trade Specialist in Florida. They also had the good fortune to have Marie C. Johns, the Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Small Business administration, attend. In fact, she even flew in from Washington for the event. Quite a reception, to say the least.

We learned that Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a big animal lover and has four dogs! She originally wanted to be a vet, but chemistry stood in the way, so she pusured a highly successful career in public service.

“She’s very sweet, warm and approachable,” Marcy said.

Marcy said that she spoke very little when she received the award and introduced Vincent who deals with our overseas distributers.

“It was very exciting and I got a little emotional thinking that we were in the same audience just a few years ago with no idea about exporting,” she said.

“At the end Debbie said to the audience, ‘Any one of you here can be just like the Colangelos,’ Marcy continued. “Vincent leaned over and said to me, ‘Yea, broke!’”

It’s always nice to be honored for hard work and we plan to continue the BooBoolution!

04.19.2012Lead The Way

I’ve have always been more of a cat person, but two years ago I had the opportunity to adopt Charlie, a black dachshund, from a friend who was moving away. Once I laid eyes on him, my cat bias was over – it was love at first sight! The friendly pup was laidback and sweet, with a constantly wagging little tail. I knew we would make a great match.
As happy as I was for adopting this little guy, things were a bit rocky in the beginning. I didn’t know jack about being a dog owner, and as someone who has always had indoor animals, I didn’t know the finer things about collars, leashes and harnesses.
Charlie came with a red collar made of a strong fabric, but not a leash. The previous owner told me that little Char-Char was well trained and she never had a need for a leash. Charlie would never leave her sight if they were outside.
Being the paranoid (or as I’d like to say “careful”) pet owner that I am, I wasn’t fully comfortable with this answer. There were many dogs in the neighborhood and I didn’t like the idea of Charlie making a run for the border and getting attacked by a pack of four-legged roughnecks. Plus, I don’t have a fenced in yard, so all kinds of craziness could ensue.
I started to research what collars would work best for my new doggie. There are lots of different collars on the market made of lots of different materials including nylon, rubber, vinyl, leather, recycled materials, natural fiber and even (eek!) metal. I even saw some adorable beaded collars, but Charlie is very masculine and would never go for an elegant pearl necklace (even though I think he could carry that look quite well).
Charlie’s collar seemed to be okay. It was durable, a flattering color
(cherry red) and never caused him any irritation. This was important as I read that some fabric can cause your pet’s neck to itch and break out in rashes. Of course, if such a thing occurs, I have an amazing BooBooLoon® inflatable collar, which will keep pets from scratching at a rash or irritated area and is much more comfortable than those hard, plastic cones.
So, collar-wise, we were okay, but I wasn’t sure what to do about a leash. There are basic leashes and retractable leashes. Basic leashes come in many lengths, materials, colors and patterns. There are 2 foot leashes, which keep your pet very close and are good in crowds – keeping everyone protected in case Charlie wanted to gnaw on someone’s leg. There are also 4 foot leashes which keep pets close, but also allow them room to roam and 6 foot leashes which give pets more room to walk ahead and explore and hopefully not cause any trouble. Of course, there are leashes even longer than that, but those are the basics.
Then you have the retractable leashes which allow you to give your dog more freedom when they go on walks and also are also designed to let you reel them in case of traffic, other animals and scary looking people.
The retractable leashes sounded fun (it’s like fishing for dogs!), but I felt like a basic 6 foot leash would be perfect for my well-trained pup. Just when I had my mind made-up, my dog expert friend told me about harnesses. I never thought of a harness because they never looked that secure to me. But when my friend Garvin told me more about them, I was intrigued.
He explained that dog harnesses are a good option if your dog is a puller or if your dog is known to slip out of collars. I was worried Charlie would be a puller since he wasn’t used to walking on a leash and I didn’t want him to hurt himself.

I decided to start off with a harness and basic leash combo. I can report that this has worked so perfectly with Charlie that I am sticking wth it!
I hope my experience was helpful to you! Feel free to leave comments about your experiences and what has worked best for you.

04.02.2012Indoor Cats vs Outdoor Cats

When I moved to South Florida 7 years ago, I was shocked by how many people kept their cats outside. Wherever I drove, there were cats everywhere — running through the streets, playing in yards, picking through trashcans and rolling around in the dirt. Driving became like a game of Frogger with me holding my breath and dodging these four-legged creatures. Lucky for them, I played to win! I would never get over it if I hit a cat — or any animal!

In Philadelphia, where I am from, it was pretty rare to see cats roaming the streets. Of course there were a few strays (some of which were adopted by my family) but you didn’t see cats running wild in the streets like you do in South Florida. But this is not because of overprotective owners, it’s because of the weather. Only the cruel would let their pets out in cold, snowy and rainy weather. And frozen cats do not make very nice yard fixtures.

By now you may have the idea that I prefer to keep my kitties indoors at all times. I like to keep my little furry hostages up close and personal, with nowhere to run from my hugs and kisses. I couldn’t bear the thought of them out on the mean streets with the neighborhood tough cats. This seems far too stressful for me. Aren’t those who let them roam freely terrified that they might not make it back home?
Surprisingly it turned out that some of my new Florida friends had outdoor cats.

They seem to genuinely love their cats, so it wasn’t like they were cruel, uncaring pet owners. So I had to find out more about this phenomenon. I had to open my mind and get the facts.
I asked friends the reasons why they let their cats roam their neighborhoods. Some told me that their cats would cry at the door for hours at a time and they grew up with outdoor cats. They added that it offers cats freedom and a relatively more natural environment. I could see some of their points. I could especially see the benefits for those who had fenced in yards and had their cats trained to stay in that area.

Of course, having an outdoor pet comes with just as many negatives. If your kitty isn’t spayed, they could easily get knocked up during a hot night on the town. Also, outdoor cats don’t tend to live as long as indoor cats. They are at a high risk of being hit by cars and also could be exposed to poisons far more dangerous than anything found indoors. And there’s always the threat of being bitten by other animals, including deadly spiders and other bugs. If you’re not terrified by this already then I just don’t get it! But, to each their own. . .

Friends counteracted these points by saying that their furniture won’t get scratched up, they don’t need to change a litter box (because their cats go on the lawn) and that their cats are in better shape than mine (It’s true-but still rude to point out- housecats are fatter).
I am standing firm on my position, but am becoming less judgmental on the topic (yards=okay, streets=not okay).

No matter what your opinion is, it’s good to know that there is an amazing product like BooBooLoon® inflatable collars for your pet in case they get into any street fights or scuffles. Unlike hard plastic cones, BooBooLoon® Protective Petwear is more comfortable for your pet as it doesn’t keep them from enjoying their usual activities like eating, drinking and sleeping.

03.09.2012Puppy Power!

I’ve never raised a puppy. When I got my daschund Charlie, he was a few years old and, thankfully, already well trained. I’ve heard the horror stories, but have not experienced them. I have raised some crazy kittens, but from what I hear, leaping little kitties digging into you with their razor sharp nails are nothing compared to the furry tasmanian devils (also known as dogs) chewing all of your prized possessions into stringy chunks of beef jerky.

To gain some more insight, my friend Danelle recently agreed to enlighten me on the tribulations that come along with taming these crazy canines. Sadly, she lost her beloved dog Candy a few years ago and it took her a while to adopt a new puppy. But she eventually found her beloved puppy Izzy at the local shelter. A pretty black lab, Izzy is very sweet and, of course, very curious.

Danelle (or as I like to call her, Chanelle) is a very careful person and concocted a well thoughtout plan for Izzy’s arrival. She took many measures to have her house set up and ready for her new little friend. Here are some helpful tips she provided.

Keep choking hazards far away
Danelle cleared out any and all items that her puppy could chew on, because as we all know, puppies loooove to chew. First and foremost she kept electrical cords out of reach to aviod giving Izzy that not-so-fashionable “charred” look. But one thing Izzy did not lack was determination and soon she had to start hiding all of her shoes which soon became the pups favorite toys. Which leads me to this next important fact. . .

Puppies chew everything
It’s something all puppy owners need to realize and prepare for. The first thing Izzy did when Danelle brought her home was destroy a framed picture of Danelle and her previous dog Candy. She actually chewed up the frame and ate the photo. The message was clear: “I am now the dog of the house. Make room. . .or else.”

Get trashcans with lids
Danelle fed Izzy gourmet puppy food, but Izzy preferred to keep it real. No pretentious foo-foo stuff for her! She found dumpster diving much more satisfying than those dainty little cans of slop. Danelle soon invested in trashcans with heavy attached lids. One for her kitchen and one for her bathroom.

Be careful what you keep in your floor-height cabinets
Izzy may have been able to lift those trash can lids but she is a master at opening cabinets. She would climb in and knock items over and try to get into them. She liked this activity even more than she liked chewing Danelle’s favorite platform pumps. Danelle learned to keep anything that would appeal to the pup in the higher cabinets and kept only harmless items down below. But when Izzy still found a way in Danelle eventually resorted to installing child-proof latches.

Make a quiet sleeping area for your pup
Although Izzy prefers to curl up with Danelle, she also has a quiet area with a big cushion for nap time.

Be careful with full sinks and toilets
Puppies can – and will – jump in for a swim. But this is not cute at all—smaller puppies could drown! In addition, be careful with toilet cleaners – puppies love to drink from the toilet and could get poisoned. And what if that lazy husband of yours forgets to flush—okay, okay, I won’t go there…

Master Escape Artists
Danelle told me the story of her neighbor who put a doghouse in the yard so the puppy would have its own “crib” to hang out in. Unfortunately, the puppy kept getting loose and always ended up in Danelle’s yard. Danelle found herself returning the puppy over and over and the neighbor had no idea how the puppy was escaping the confines of a four foot chain link fence. Perhaps she was digging under the fence, you might think. Not the case. It turns out, the puppy was climbing on top of the doghouse and leaping over the fence. Clever, huh? Danelle said that you must be careful when leaving a new puppy to play unattended—regardless if it’s inside or out. Once, Izzy got stuck inside her foldout couch and it was very stressful and scary for a while until she got her out. She was only looking to relax on the foldout bed, but this could have been a real disaster.

Plants and Food
Be careful with puppies and household plants. They love the floppy leaves of a plant and some types of leaves can actually can make them very sick. So keep the plants outside or hanging out of reach to avoid any sick puppies. Also, there are many foods that are poisonous to puppies. Most people know about chocolate, but other toxic foods include avocado, garlic, onions, raisins, grapes and caffeine. And it might not be a bad idea to keep the booze out of reach as well. Danelle said that she made a list of all the foods that are poisonous to dogs and keeps it on her fridge for her and her boyfriend.

Forget sleeping in
Danelle’s days of sleeping in and repeatedly pressing the snooze button were over as soon as she got Izzy. Nothing is worse than being woken up by the sound of your dog peeing against your wall, or at least that’s what she told me. And you thought these hardships only pertained to children—dogs, as wonderful as they are, can cause just as many headaches and sleepless nights. Proceed with caution!

And since puppies are known to be accident-prone, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there is a product like BooBooLoon® around. The protective inflatable collars are much more comfortable than those hard Elizabethan-style collars, which will block your pup’s vision and scare them! When wearing a BooBooLoon®, your pets are able to eat, drink and sleep like usual. And, of course, they come in puppy-sizes.

02.17.2012Finding a Good Groomer

My boyfriend moved in with me this past year and I am now the proud owner of two of the fluffiest cats I have ever seen — Lee, a puffy white Ragdoll kitty and Hank, a fuzzy black Persian. Of course, I was already the owner of two short haired cats, a short haired dog and a turtle.  I’ve never had any use for a groomer and was completely unaware of the care involved with these adorable furballs. I soon learned that these kitties — especially Hank– were prone to the dreadlocks I aspired to grow in college. The only difference is that Hank couldn’t tolerate the discomfort that comes with such a fashionable hairdo.

Lee’s hair is silkier, so as long as we brush him daily, his fur stays pretty smooth. He gets the occasional knot by his hindquarters and we very carefully snip those out. Hank, however, is another story. His hair is a bit rougher and as much as we brush him, the knots keep coming — especially on his belly. We soon realized that a groomer was our only option.

I asked my fancy dog owner friends who they suggested and they were all very passionate about their recommendations. With so many choices, I still didn’t know who to pick, so I decided to do some research on my own. I had no idea that there were so many options! Here is what I learned.

Cage or Cage Free

The first thing you need to ask yourself is if you want your pet to be caged, or cage free. Your first instinct might be “cage-free, of course!” Well, it really depends. If you go to a cage free groomer, your pets will be able to roam around pretty freely. This could keep anxiety-prone pets calm. Of course, they will be roaming around with other animals and can easily get under foot of working groomers. Cages, on the other hand, are confining and can cause your pet unnecessary stress. However, some (like myself) like the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your pet is contained and protected from possible attacks of other animals, not to mention there’s less of a chance of them running off. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Mobile Groomers

With a mobile groomer there’s convenience and a familiar environment — you don’t have to pack your pet up into a car and take them to some mysterious place that may be jumping with an assortment of other animals. Of course, this is a bigger problem for cats, who are notorious for hating car rides while dogs think of them as the best treat in the world. There are many mobile groomers around who just need a water hookup and they are good to go. Their vans contain everything they need to make your pet look and feel their best.

House Calls

Many Mobile Groomers will go one step further and groom your pet inside your home. This is great for anxious pets that get nervous in unfamiliar places. The only downside for some is the fact that your pet will likely get groomed in your bathroom and it can cause a mess. A plus side is that you will get extra personal attention from your groomer (after all, you have them trapped in your house!) and you can ask as many questions as you’d like. This is especially good for neurotic pet owners (like me!).

Follow your gut instinct

If you walk into a place and it seems dirty, the equipment seems old, and the groomers seem distracted, walk back out. If the staff is not attentive or unfriendly just imagine how they’ll treat your pet! Do your research to make sure your pet has a good experience.

Your pet’s comfort and happiness mean a lot to us at BooBooLoon®, which is why we came up with our inflatable collars. They are much more comfortable than those hard plastic Elizabethan collars in that they won’t block your pet’s vision and cause it stress. Also, our collars allow your pets to go on with life as usual during their healing process. They can eat, drink and sleep in total comfort!

01.30.2012Bringing Home Baby

I recently received great news — one of my closest friends, Amy, is
pregnant with her first child! As we were discussing the wonderful things that come with pregnancy — you know: puking, the pain of childbirth, fear of pooping on the table,
preference of a boy or a girl, how to avoid her husband’s insane name choices
– we came upon a topic I never thought about. How would her two dogs handle this new addition?

Amy and I are both rather intense pet lovers. In the past, we both
have promised each other that if anything ever happened to us and our significant others, we would take in the other’s pets. Our pets are our babies and we love to spoil them rotten. I knew her friendly dog Buddy would most likely be fine with the family’s newest addition, but Marley (my favorite), has a bit of an attitude—and quite an appetite. I asked her how she could be sure he wouldn’t eat the baby? She laughed and joked that although she might allow Marley a taste of the baby, she would avoid the actual eating of the child by some tips she found through research. Amy graciously shared some of
her preparations for her baby and four-legged furballs.

Have a Dress Rehearsal
Invite a friend over with their baby. Of course, supervise the interaction to avoid possible disaster. I mean what do say to your friend after Rover has made lunch out their first born? This is a good way to see if your pet will sniff around and be curious or will completely ignore the baby.

New scents
Get your dog or cat used to the smell of babies by sprinkling baby powder around so they will get accustomed to the scent beforehand. Before you come home from the hospital have your partner bring a blanket that smells like the baby home for your pet to sniff.

New sounds
Let your fur baby get used to the sound of a baby crying (you might want to get some practice as well, because boy will it be happening often enough). Look online for the sound of a baby crying for your pet to hear and also turn on any baby toys that make noise and have your pet get used to that as well.

Safety first
Get your cat or dog used to getting their nails trimmed, because you
don’t want any sharp objects around the new baby. Nail trimmers can be found at your local pet store but take extra care during this process. If you are uncomfortable doing this on your own, never hesitate to have a professional groomer step in and chisel down those scary claws.

Keep Your Pet Calm and Happy

It’s very important to make sure your pet is comfortable with the new
addition to your family. Prepare a baby-free zone just for your pet
where it can go to hide out and get away from all the chaos. If your
pet is the most attached to the new mom, make sure another member
of the family becomes more attentive to the pet, so it doesn’t feel
ignored and stressed due to receiving less attention from its favorite person.

Another important way to help your pet is to make sure to have you have your BooBooLoon® inflatable collar on-hand. Your pet might show signs of stress by obsessive licking and scratching of their fur. When this happens, their BooBooLoon® Protective Petwear collar will keep them from harming themselves and will allow them to eat, drink and sleep like usual.

We wish Amy and our other pregnant friends lots of luck with their new addition!

01.23.2012Fascinating Pet Facts

The other day I was marveling over my cats’ impeccable night vision (hey, it doesn’t take much to impress me) and it got me thinking. . .I should learn more about my pets! I researched and came up with these fun facts about dogs and cats.

DOGS

There are 77.5 million dogs in the world!

Dogs help out their human friends by doing these duties: guiding those with disabilities, hunting, farm work, security, police work, therapy and more. (This is exciting news– now Charlie, my dachshund, can help bring home the bacon!)

The most popular breed of dog is the Labrador.

Puppies don’t just chew on things to be difficult. They chew shoes, slippers, newspapers, and more because they are teething, plus it’s their way of hunting. And of course, it’s quite an attention-grabber! Nothing gets us to stop what we are doing and pay attention to our pets more than seeing them gnaw on one of our favorite shoes.

Dogs hear way better than humans — they can hear sounds at four times the distance.

Dogs also have a much better sense of smell than humans. This is why they are used at crime scenes and for security.

Chocolate is highly poisonous for dogs, so keep it away from them. More chocolate for us!

Cats

There are 93.6 million cats in the world!

Cats sleep an average of 13 to 14 hours a day (and party all night. . . or maybe that’s just my cats).

The most popular pet cat in the world is the domestic shorthair. Actually, it is the most popular PET in the world.

Cats’ teeth are adapted for hunting mice and rats.

Cats have amazing night vision and can see light levels six times lower than what we need in order to see. They also have superior hearing and sense of smell.

Older cats often dislike kittens. Similar to how most women hate their younger counterparts. . .or perhaps that’s just me.

Cats are highly allergic to onions, so don’t feed them any! Personally, there are worse things to be allergic to — like chocolate. Besides, cats breath already smells like fish. . . fish and onions would just be too much.

Yes, our pets are definitely interesting — and adorable!–creatures. Show them the love and care they deserve by getting them a BooBooLoon® Inflatable Collar. They are available in sizes XS to XL and the soft BooBooLoon® collars are perfect for keeping pets at ease while healing from an injury and allow them to eat, drink and rest easily.

01.06.2012Don’t Stress Over Pet Stress – Combat It

From Dr. Ernie Ward (Vetstreet)

Is stress killing your pet? Harried hounds and frazzled felines are more common than you think. In fact, stress contributes to or worsens many medical conditions in pets and people.

So how can you reduce the harmful effects of stress on your pet?

Although there are no easy answers or silver bullets when it comes to overcoming stress and anxiety, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your pet’s stress — and help both of you live longer, more enjoyable lives.

First of all, it’s good to understand that there are different types of stress — and some stress is actually good for you. There’s even a scientific name for this beneficial stress: eustress.

Eustress is the sort of stress you experience when you’re exercising or training for an event, preparing for a test or learning a skill. As long as you remain calm and cool, these challenges are beneficial to you. This is why I encourage everyone to map out several new experiences for the New Year.

In terms of goals for your pets, think about what would be healthy or fun for you and your animal. Create challenges for your cat by teaching her to play fetch, tackle a food puzzle or follow a feather dancer. If you are a dog owner,  pledge to walk your pooch every day for at least 15 to 30 minutes — even if it’s raining, sleeting or snowing. Then log your progress on a calendar or start a blog: The Year of Walking My Dog. I’d read it. You could even take a picture and post it each day on Facebook. At the end of the year, you could make a video collage and have forever memories to share. I’ve digressed here, but I’m ultimately trying to inspire you to exercise with your dog. It will make both of you happier and reduce stress — which is the real enemy.

Combating stress is critical. Not the fancy-pants “eustress” kind I wrote about above, but the my-kids-are-crying-and-my-boss-is-yelling stress we know too well. Pets recognize and experience it, too. While humans can complain about it on Facebook, dogs and cats have to take it in silence. Just imagine living the life of apredator who’s confined inside four small walls. Or envision if every fiber in your body screams, “Chase that squirrel,” yet you never get to go outside for more than a quick potty break. It would be frustrating and stressful.

Stress not only negatively impacts our emotional well-being, but it also wreaks havoc on our bodies. Chronic, low-grade stress in people and pets increases levels of the hormone cortisol, which leads to overeating and obesity, high blood pressure, digestive problems, insomnia, increased susceptibility to infections, aggressionand irritability, to name a few.

So go ahead and commit to finishing that 5k, half-marathon or even an Ironman triathlon this year to help yourself — and make a similar plan for your pet. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do, as long as you keep moving forward. You’ll both live longer and be healthier for it.

01.04.2012Bentely’s Gets Spayed

Our good friend, Bentely, was spayed recently and wore his BooBooLoon proudly. Here is a review from his mom on the BooBooLoon!

“We love BooBooLoon!!!!! Our dog Bentley way so comfortable with it on! He could see where he was going, he didn’t take out anyone’s legs or furniture like with the plastic cones and most importantly he was able to rest comfortably on the soft pillow!!! Thank you so much for inventing such a wonderful item for our pets!!!

“

01.02.2012Review from Sue!

The BooBooLoon collar is the best by far – large enough to keep a big dog from licking or chewing, flexible enough to not hinder the dog, neck size is adjustable, comfortable enough for the dog – in fact they use it like a pillow when they sleep!  Not only is the product great, it is decently priced, and the people who sell it are terrific on the phone and via email.  I am totally impressed with the product, but also the great customer service.  My dogs and I thank you!”