Pets Blog San Diego

I’ve just updated my “Previously Published Pets Articles” page, with one brand new and a number of older articles I’ve had published.  I must say I’m particularly pleased with my new Sea Magazine article, Boating with Pets, which appears in the June issue. You can read it here: http://bit.ly/irLVDv. Sea Magazine is one of my current favorite writing gigs. 

As many of you know, my husband, Arv, and I are serious boaters as well as devoted cat parents – so serious that when we bought our current boat, the Burgundy, we chose it with our cats in mind.

The photo of Amy (gray and white) and Alexander (gray and black tiger puss) that sits atop my blog was taken on the boat. They’re sitting on one of their favorite perches, the top of the refrigerator.

As with every article, I have far more material and definitely more photos than make it into print.  I think you’ll enjoy seeing some of these photos!

Shooter, shown below with his dad Mark Hodlin, hangs out with his family on their boat the Fat Cat — it’s a catamaran — where Shooter is definitely part of the family. To make it easier for Shooter to jump on and off, they lay his special blue towel on the swim platform, to give him some traction. I first met Shooter when he was a puppy and watched Mark and his wife Stephanie try to coax Shooter on and off the swim platform before they discovered the magic blue towel.  He’s such a nice dog!

Shooter, with doting dad Mark Hodlin, on Fat Cat

Alexander being fitted for his PFD

Alexander and Amy were not at all happy when we took them to be fitted for their PFDs. We had purchased Ruff Wear doggy PFDs, but cats are, of course, shaped differently.  We were fortunate that our friend Doug Poirier, father of Mr. Frosty the Famous Flying Dog, had had a flight suit fitted for Frosty at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, where they go paragliding. Wing doctor Steve Stackdale had made Frosty’s flight suit and, with a bit of arm-twisting from Doug, agreed to tailor Amy and Alexander’s flight suits. What a patient, gentle soul!  He did a great job adapting the canine lifejackets for our cats, adding little panties plus hooks and adjustable straps so our felines can’t wiggle out.

Amy in her PFD

And here’s Dozer, the English bulldog who’s a champion surfdog, on his surfboard in his preferred Dfa PFD. Thanks to Doug Hokstad of DogtownSandiego.com for the photo

Dozer in his Dfa PFD on his surfboard (Diane Edmonds photo)

And, to finish up with another image of my beloved pusses, here’s a photo of an alert Amy on the fantail of the Burgundy, fascinated by all the activity on the dock. Neither she nor Alexander is allowed on the deck without a harness and leash or PFD and leash.  While they’re little “seacats,” they’re also very much house cats!