Cords of blinds can be deadly

We want everyone who has dogs and cats (and kids, too) to get out some scissors right now and pet-proof all those looped cords on your window blinds.

It’s a safety measure we never think about, especially if there aren’t small kids around. But those cords can be disastrous to pets: The relative of a colleague had a puppy that was strangled by one of those cords a few weeks ago. The dog got caught in the loop and, when he tried to get free, he wrapped himself up in the cord.

So put down the paper and either cut the loops or tie the cords up high right now.

- Are you holding your nose and muttering, “You dirty dog”?

Take your mutt to All Breed Rescue & Training’s dog wash-a-thon, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday at Wag N’ Wash, 1625 W. Uintah St. There will also be a bake sale.

The suggested donation for the grooming is $20 per dog. Appointments are recommended. Call the rescue office at 264-6460.

The organization is also looking for volunteers to help out with the dog wash.

- A new player is joining the lineup of cat litters on the market, but this one stands out from the pack: It’s being marketed as a litter than can diagnose feline kidney ailments.

Pet Ecology Perfect Litter says its patented litter includes an early warning system for FLUTD, a common but sometimes fatal cat urinary disease. When the litter gets wet, it turns light to dark shades of pink, depending on the severity of the problem.

The litter includes hydroponic perlite and vermiculite, so you can even throw some in your garden to hold in moisture. It’s lighter than regular litter and absorbs four times more.

Get a two-week free trial (equal to 14 pounds of clay litter) by calling 1-800-810-0470 or signing up at perfectlitter.com. You have to include a credit card number for shipping charges, and you also have to cancel — repeat, you have to cancel — if you don’t want to continue getting litter and a monthly charge on your credit card.

If you stay in the mail order program, you’ll get two 2-pound bags a month (equal to 28 pounds of clay litter) for $14.95 a month plus a $4.95 shipping fee.

Better, yet, just wait: The company will start selling the litter in major pet stores in March.