Cavalier Ball!

Last Sunday, I attended an extra-special and fun event in Santa Monica, California--the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Ball!

It was held by an absolutely charming pet supply store, doggy day care facility and spa, called Healthy Spot. Of course I brought my Cavaliers Lexie and Mystie--oh, yes, and my husband Fred came along, too.

What a wonderful bunch of Cavaliers were there! Somewhere between 25 and 35 attended, including mine. The pups were beautiful and adorable and clearly beloved.

I have to admit that my Cavaliers are not as socialized as they should be. When let loose in an enclosed area with many other pups, they seemed bewildered at first. Then Lexie started sniffing her temporary companions and seemed somewhat at ease. Mystie, though, kept hiding in whatever spots she could find--behind people, preferably.

The staff members at Healthy Spot were wonderful. They welcomed each Cavalier, handed out gift bags and helped to shepherd dogs and owners to the various venues within the shop, including a place where our Cavaliers had photos taken on a purple velvet throne while wearing a matching purple velvet cape. Very royal, as befitting a breed whose ancestors were the small spaniels in the court of King Charles II of England.

There were snacks for the Cavaliers and for their owners. For two hours, guests arrived, enjoyed, then left.

Since we live in another part of L.A., I was delighted to learn that we were invited because, when one of the delightful staff members Googled Cavaliers, I somehow appeared--probably because of Lexie, the Cavalier who looks just like mine, in my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries.

Healthy Spot also holds events for other breeds. If you happen to live in the L.A. area and your type of pup is invited, I urge you to attend!

Have you ever been invited to a special event for your pet?

Pets and Gizmos

As you’ve probably noticed, KillerHobbies is featuring tools of our pastimes this week.

I blog about pets, both as hobbies and, especially, as family members. I can’t exactly point out a tool that helps to create handcrafted masterpieces relating to my “hobby.”

On the other hand, there are lots of items relating to pets that are indispensible. Collars, for example--and most especially the ID tags attached to collars to let people know, if your babies get lost, where to return them. Plus, there are the ID chips that you can’t see, but help to identify pets even when they’re not wearing collars. Of course, with those, a vet or a pet sanctuary that has a reading device is necessary to read the information.

Then there are food and water bowls. They come in different shapes and sizes, but the ones I like best are those with rubber around the edges so they don’t slip on tile or linoleum floors.

For dogs, there are leashes of different kinds. Some are just pretty ones that match collars. Others are longer, for training. Still others are extendable, to let your pet wander away a bit on a walk, yet still be secure.

There are toys, too, of course. Lots of kinds of bones, including sturdy nylon ones, and floppy rag ones. My little Mystie is addicted to balls, but she’s quite small and needs the kind that collapses when she bites into it. She also likes to hold conversations with her balls, so she likes those with squeakers inside.

Some people dress their pets. I haven’t yet, but some doggy clothes are quite cute.

I haven’t asked Kendra Ballantyne, my pet-sitter mystery protagonist, what her favorite pet accessories are, but I expect her answers would be similar to mine. She is, after all, my alter ego.

What is your favorite pet accessory?