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88 posts
Bird-Watching Season: Keeping an Indoor Cat Busy in JulyJuly 16, 2026A feeder outside the dining room window, a puzzle feeder inside and two short play sessions a day. How Mabel spends her summer.
Is a Bigger Bag of Kibble Actually Cheaper? We Did the MathJuly 9, 2026Per-pound prices for three bag sizes, autoship discounts, storage and staleness. The kibble math that changed how we buy Hank's food.
Window AC Units, Box Fans and a Panting Dog in an Old HouseJuly 2, 2026No central air in a 1948 house. How we cool the rooms the pets really use, the signs we watch for and what the window units add to the electric bill.
Underestimating the Same Pet Budget Line Every YearJune 29, 2026Poop bags, lint rollers, chewed leashes, enzyme spray. We budget $25 a month for pet odds and ends and keep spending nearly double.
Seven Years Married, One Dog-Friendly Weekend on the North ShoreJune 24, 2026Our anniversary weekend in Two Harbors with Hank in the back seat. Pet fees, lakeside walks, a cat sitter at home and what we'd skip.
Pushed-Out Screens and the Cat-Proof Fix We Settled OnJune 11, 2026Mabel popped a window screen out of its old wooden frame in June. The tougher screen, the retrofit clips and what the whole fix cost.
Collapsible Bowls, Water Bottles and Other Summer Walk GearJune 4, 2026What rides in our walk bag from June to August: a collapsible bowl, a squeeze bottle, poop bags and a cooling bandana that actually works.
Grilling Season and the Scraps We Don't ShareMay 28, 2026Corn cobs, kebab skewers, fatty trimmings and the drip pan. Our backyard grilling rules after one very expensive holiday mistake.
Cleared for Fetch: Hank's Return to Off-Leash PlayMay 21, 2026The surgeon gave the okay in mid-May. How we eased back into fetch in the fenced yard, the throws we limited and the rules we kept.
Choosing a Rug That Survives a Dog: Washable, Wool or NeitherMay 15, 2026We've owned five living room rugs in under four years. What happened to each one, what we paid and which type finally made sense here.
Claim Paperwork Habits That Got Us Paid FasterMay 8, 2026Itemized invoices, records requests and one shared folder. The small habits that got our pet insurance claims paid in under three weeks.
Does an Indoor Cat Need Flea and Tick Prevention? Our ReasoningMay 2, 2026Mabel never goes outside, but Hank brings the outdoors in. The talk we had with our vet and the seasonal plan we settled on for 2026.