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Pampered or Protected?
Courtesy of the South Charlotte Weekly.
I'm not sure what people think when they see me walking my dog. I can tell from their expressions that they're curious. Some neighbors comment that he's really pampered. Others tell their dog not to get too jealous. I'm certain some just think I'm crazy.
Actually, "walking" my dog has changed during the past month. Now, my 16 pound dog is comfortable seated in his Kittywalk pet stroller that I'm pushing down the street. It's certainly new in my neighborhood, but since its invention a couple of years ago, it seems to be catching on. Featured on "Good Morning America" recently in a segment about pet products, it's one of several unique creations by a Long Island pet lover.
Jiffy, our 8 year old bichon frise, loved to go for traditional dog walks - sniffing every blade of grass, barking at big dogs, and attempting to eat worms. When we walked with my longtime friend and her five Maltese, Jiffy was in his glory.
Then a few months ago, Jiffy was diagnosed with diabetes. Two weeks later, just when we were becoming accustomed to giving daily insulin shots, Jiffy walked into a wall on Friday night. We wondered if cateract associated with diabetes could develop so quickly. On Monday, the vet didn't see cataracts, but confirmed our fears that Jiffy was nearly blind. On Tuesday, the veterinary specialist used a high-tech process called electroretinography to diagnose SARD, Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration. Vision loss is complete in both eyes and permanent. "Sudden" means a dog goes blind in one to five days. There is no treatment.
I won't say it's been easy. We are still trying to help him adjust, but he's learning to walk around the house without bumping into things too often. But outdoors, he's still confused. Life on the sidewalk is filled with too many uncertainties, and talking a real walk just hasn't worked.
So, yes, I guess I am pampering my dog but it's worth it. Jiffy loves to go out for walks again in his pet stroller. He can't see what's out there, but the nose and ears certainly work. Not to mention, it's good exercise for me after sitting in my office all day.
I tracked down the Kittwalky pet stroller creater Lise King, who said her inspiration for the Kittywalk line is her indoor cat that's fasciniated by the outdoors. Her first design was a type of fishnet cylinder, support by wickets in the ground, that lets her cat play outdoors. Then there was the cat cabana, so cant can be outdoors in the shade. When her products started to be noticed at invention and pet shows, she linked up with Brad White from MidnightPass.com, who's helped her with online marketing and distribution. King's success continued, thanks to her cat that also enjoys being walked on a harness and leash. When walking a second cat didn't work two well, she came up with the idea of a pet stroller. "I cut apart a stroller and put netting over it", she said. Eventually, she created a vehicle that's a lightweight, removable pet carrier on a stroller base. It has two compartments, one with netting and the other enclosed with fabric for privacy or shade. Owners of pets with hip and joint ailments, arthritis, and other disorders are snapping them up. And people who want to protect their small animal from other pets are buying them, too. King says she didn't start out with intentions to invent something, but her cats have guided her. Now it's easy to go from product to the next. "People have been very positive" she said. "People who love animals are a nice group of people".
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