First a quick note about PAW-Fest, which is coming up on Sunday Aug. 2 -– yippee. I recently got some great news -– we will be having a Microchip Clinic at PAW-Fest. The Kitsap Humane Society will be working with Dr. Danmeyer from the Pet Medical Center at Apple Tree Cove Animal Hospital to bring this clinic to PAW-Fest. The microchipping will cost only $25, including registration. It’s a great deal. If your pet isn’t microchipped, this is your opportunity. Plus you help out other pets in need because the proceeds from the microchipping benefit the Kitsap Humane Society. Just one more reason to join us at PAW-Fest.
You can go to PAW-Fest.com to reserve a chip for your pet, or just come on down to PAW-Fest.
It seems like these days pet stores usually fall in to one of two categories: either they are a “natural foods store” with very high quality, holistic foods and treats, or they are a traditional pet store with good foods and a variety of animals on hand. We combine the two because as important as it is to me to carry all the high quality foods of a natural foods store, I also love having the critters of a traditional pet store. It’s almost like having our own little petting zoo. One of my favorite critters at the pet store is our chinchillas.
Growing up I didn’t know much about chinchillas except that people made coats of them. Nowadays, these cute, fluffy rodents have entered a whole new world: the world of pets. It turns out these little critters make a pretty fun addition to the family. They are cute as can be — like a cross between a fluffy bunny and a big-eared field mouse. Petting their fur is like touching air. No wonder they made such good coats. They don’t smell, and they don’t really make noise. Chinchillas, like guinea pigs, originate from South America. Unlike guinea pigs, however, chinchillas are not ground-level grazers. Chinchillas in the wild browse plants among the rocky cliffs of their mountain home. Being able to jump around on cliffs requires that you be acrobatic, and chinchillas certainly are. They really enjoy jumping around from place to place and climbing all around their cage. It makes them lots of fun to watch. They will light upon your hand, and come into your arms for a treat, but they aren’t really snuggly and won’t stay there for long. When you give them a treat, they hold it in their little paws like a squirrel while they nibble on it – it’s adorable.
We’ve had chinchillas at the pet store for over a year now, so many of you have had the chance to see them in action. It turns out that even cuter than chinchillas are baby chinchillas. I know this to be true because the stork has finally brought baby chinchillas to Country Pet Shoppe. We have five little gray bundles of fluff.
As I write this, they are just beginning to jump up to the bottom shelf in their cage. By the time you read this I imagine they will be climbing all over it. I can’t wait to watch them grow and see what all they do.
