It’s amazing how much stuff a dog or cat requires. Food, treats, leashes, collars, halters, medications, shampoos, toys, travel crates, and other equipment can take over a good part of a small city home.
Whether you have an older dog or a young pup, organizing their stuff will make everyone’s life easier.
The Right Place
A neighbor noticed the hook on our front door that holds our Poppy’s halter and leash. Not only does this spot put these tethers where we use them on a routine basis, but they are also exactly where we would want them in an emergency.
A friend with cats once had to do a fast exit when an alarm sounded. That required finding her cat carriers and getting the cats into them. That experience made her rethink where she stored the bags between trips to the vet.
We have a travel toiletry kit that holds everything we need for routine dog care or first aid. It also holds Poppy’s heartworm and flea medications and a few items we like to have along when we travel. That bag goes with us when we hit the road.
At home, dog toys live within Poppy's reach in the bottom basket of a three-tier storage stand near Ed’s desk. The upper levels hold a supply of pick up bags and bottles of water that we grab to go on walks.
Nearby, a covered wicker basket holds a supply of oversized towels for when we arrive home with a wet dog or to put down to protect our furniture and rugs when Poppy enjoys a chew treat.
Food Storage
When you live in an urban setting, rodent control is a factor in many decisions. In city homes, consider storing dry dog and cat food in secure, rodent-proof containers. Most of our dog’s food is kept in our freezer, but treats and some freeze-dried food like her Dr Harvey's Veg-to-Bowl is kept in glass mason jars
Paperwork
Our puppy paperwork is in two places. Paper copies of important documents are in a notebook we can take to a veterinary emergency hospital at a moment’s notice. A second set of documents and complete records of all her medical care is scanned and stored in the cloud so we can access it from our phones. This can be of great value if you ever have to visit a veterinary hospital other than the one that already has your records.
Take a look around and see if you're happy with the organization of your dog or cat supplies, food, and information. And, if you have a great idea on this topic you'd like to share, you can add it to the comments below or send it to us @BostonZest on Twitter.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)
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than the dog. So, while we will dip her feet and wash down her legs after a messy walk, we just hang the messy t-shirt to dry over the tub.
for clean up. Once the loose sand and dirt is off, it can go into the wash for a final cleaning. 
, if a shirt smells doggie. 
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