on the ball

Yay, it's yet another great idea shared by a TeamSugar member! DeJaVuE found this clothing idea on the internet, and decided to test it out on her four-pound-pup, Belle. Even though she says she didn't spend that much time on it, I think it looks pretty sweet! To see how she made it (and another cute piccy), read more

I'm counting the hours until the kickoff of this year's Puppy Bowl festivities! There's sure to be hours of fun watching the adorable little pooches run around the field. I have all the people food planned out for the Super Bowl party, so now all that's left to do is get some super snacks ready for North. Since we all know he's peanut butter's number one fan, I've decided to make him some special P.B. bones for the big P.B. day. And don't think I've forgotten the cats! In case you missed it, there's even a treat suggestion for all you cat owners to spoil your felines this weekend. Do you plan on including your pets in Sunday's party? Get my peanut butter bones recipe, and tell us what you are making when you read more

No time is better than the present to make up a special treat for your small pet! I created these treats a few years back using people food ingredients listed in a Dwarf Hamster book that would be okay for little Rocco. These nibbles increase rodents' natural desire to forage, and help their teeth, too.

To see how to mix-up a nutty treat for small rodents, read more

Hooray for National Cookie Day! All too often, I can't find the time to bake up special snacks for myself but, when I do have a moment to spare, I love making treats for North. After all, that keeps me safe from those extra calories! I'm not a fan of preparing food that involves meat so this recipe is still a surefire hit with me. . . and with my lil' guy. With only four ingredients, no extra trip to the store is needed!

To see how to whip up North's favorite cookie recipe for your pooch, read more

When I saw the Littlest Pet Shop Advent Calendar for kids on lilsugar, I was instantly motivated! Being a fairly crafty gal, I decided to make an advent calendar for my lil' guy, North. I stopped off at a hardware store after work for some creative inspiration and was actually able to conceptualize and make this calendar from items I purchased or had lying around my house. It was so easy to make that when I sat down to work at the beginning of last night's Gossip Girl episode, by the end, I was done! To see how to make an Advent Tree-at for your pooch, kitty, or kiddie, read more

Wow! All the above items are PetSugar readers' great suggestions for my D.I.Y. challenge! From wrapping yarn around a satchel of catnip to adding jingle bells to existing toys, you certainly know how to please your kitties.

If your cats love found objects, try other recommendations such as tying 10 hair ties (with no metal) to a piece of yarn or cutting used gift bows into poofs as impromptu creations. As with any toy, monitor your pets when they play, paying close attention for small, broken, or loose parts. Happy crafting!

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For this snack, the live bacterial culture in yogurt can aid digestion while the high protein peanut butter is so appealing to most dogs that you can even sneak medication into the sticky stuff to get them to take it. Don't feed pets too many treats – snack servings should be limited to no more than 5 percent of a pet's daily food intake.

Here's an easy three ingredient puppy pop recipe:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Plus, you'll need the following kitchen tools: a bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a hand mixer, and an ice-cube tray.

Mix ingredients in a bowl with the hand mixer, and then divide into the mini ice-cube tray. Freeze, and store in freezer. Serve one up in your dog's food dish. This recipe makes about one dozen pops... but it takes about one minute for pooch to lap it up!

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Okay, it's time to get on the ball! My friend's cat ignores all store-bought toys – she loves toilet paper (after she has pulled it off the roll) as well as crumpled paper from the recycle bin (after she has fished it out). So, let's get creative and brainstorm cat toys you can make with products (read: trash or clutter) laying around the house. And think of all the money you'll save!

For this challenge, I want you to share your best homemade cat toy idea with PetSugar. Please send all ideas to PetSugar in a private message (click on the envelope that says "Private Message Me"). I'll feature a few ideas in a later post! Get ready, get set, create!

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Despite a French fries habit, you recognize the importance of fresh greens in your daily diet, but what about your pets? Grow a salad bar in your house and offer your cats the vitamins, minerals, and live enzymes found in raw foods and also aid their digestion and hairball control. Start with seeds like wheatgrass and oatgrass ($4.50 each, six oz. of seeds), or check with the vet for other feline-safe plants. Place the seedlings in a sunny spot where kitty can easily reach them. Mix up offerings with the modern Mesa Herb Planter, including three pots and stylish tray set from Chiasso ($38). Grow a small amount of catnip
there too—they’ll purr with delight!