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Tag: cat

March 11, 2019

The DogWatch Crew Got a Cat

Afton and Jake with DogWatch of the Twin Cities got a cat. It’s not news at this point, they got the cat back in May 2018. But almost a year later, here’s the update: we love it! Neither of us has ever had a cat before, not even as children. They’re so different from dogs. Afton would say they’re a little unpredictable. Jake would say they’re the worst.

2018 was our first year in a new-to-us house in Chaska, and we had some issues with mice. They were collecting the dog food from the closet and stashing it in the washing machine and dryer. Good plan for them, but not ideal for our clothes.

The mouse problem combined with our son’s inexplicable love for cats caused us to start considering adding a cat to the family. We started telling our friends, and one day Afton got a text about free kittens at a garage sale. Jake was out of town, so the timing was perfect!

We all instantly fell in love with tiny baby Murph. She was brave, adventurous, affectionate and friendly. It took just two days or so before she and our dog Moose were getting along great. They cuddle on a very rare occasion, but they like to play. More accurately, Murph likes to play with Moose and then run away.

Within the first couple months, she started bringing us mouse presents too! She has solved our washer/dryer issues, and we’re very grateful for that. But she has brought SO MUCH more to our family. She is such a fun addition. We love how easy it is to take care of her. We can leave town for the weekend and leave her home? Amazing. And we love how she hops on our laps and purrs, whether we pet her or not.

February 5, 2018

Will it Really Work for My Pet?

Many of our customers are skeptical before getting their DogWatch hidden fence because they wonder, “Will it really work for my pet?” People wonder if their dog is too dumb or too stubborn or too old or too small. But all dogs and cats are capable of learning their boundaries with a hidden fence. In 29 years, we’ve never had a dog fence not work!

Our 4-day training plan teaches dogs and cats where to go and where not to go with their new DogWatch fence. The visual reminder of flags, starting at a low correction level, and teaching your pet with repetition allows her to slowly learn these things: watch out for the flags, the rest of the yard is safe, and if you feel a correction turn back towards home to make it go away. Sometimes dogs excel more in one of those areas than the others, but in time they all pick up all three. Old and less-smart pets are no exception.

If your pet is more stubborn or has a higher tolerance, there are higher correction levels to ensure she stops at her boundary. Most dogs end up at a level 4, but there are 7 levels in case you need them. For smaller dogs and cats, we have an R7 Mini receiver collar that is very small and lightweight. Smaller dogs and cats don’t usually have a lower tolerance, so there is no difference in the intensity of the correction, just the size of the box on the collar strap. In fact, cats tend to have a higher tolerance than dogs.

To help ease your mind even more, our receivers have AutoMemory and FastReact. If your pet challenges the boundary, the correction level automatically goes up for 24 hours to. And even if your pet is running, they receive a warning and a correction before he reaches the wire, not while traveling over it.