How to make a dog bed
Look at my precious little baby dog! Would I ever let him sleep in a cold, bare crate, especially with the way the weather has been? Banish the thought! I am not dumb enough to spend $80 on a pillow for my dog to lay on, so I decided to make my own, crafty chick that I am.
He’s already laying on some of my homemade pillows, so I’m sure he’ll love any bed I make him.
These are old mattress covers that have been in my garage. We used them for padding things while we moved, and for covering plants when it frezzes (before all my plants died because I’m terrible with them). So these were laying around, useless. They are all lightly padded, so I could fold them into the shape I needed, but it would still be cushiony for my sweet precious baby, Flapjack.
You can see the dismal blankie he’s been stuck with up until now. I measured the width and depth of the crate so I could make the bed fit. I left a few extra inches at the front for his food bowl.
I folded the matress pads as evenly as possible into the right size. I tried to make sure the bed was an even thickness all the way around. I used 2 full size mattress pads, because that’s what I have on hand. My sis, Beans, used an old sleeping bag once, and her dog loved it. My mother’s dogs stole her yoga matt, so she just let them have it.
I used a big huge needle, like the kind for crocheting, and I used crocheting yarn, and I ended up needing pliers to pull the needle through. I would stab the needle through as far as possible, and use the pliers to pull it all the way out. I used the really simple tie method to attach all this stuff to itself. You can do this in lazy quilting also. You just sew down, then up, very close together, then tie a knot. Leave the ends dangling, an inch or so, then move onto the next spot. I made sure all the dangling ends are on the bottom, so Flapjack doesn’t try to eat them or anything. Somehow this whole process made me forget to take pictures.
Once the bed was done, it fit snuggly into the crate, and I have to actually wedge his food bowl between the crate and the bed. This is actually a good thing, because it prevents him from flinging his food all over the place, which is what he has been doing. So far it’s working great. I wrapped him blankie around it, so I won’t have to wash the whole bed, just the blankie.
You can use whatever stuff you have laying around the house for this. For small dogs you can even just stuff a pillow case, sew it shut, and throw it on the floor. You can also get great stuff for this at thrift stores. If you plan on having the bed on a floor, rather than in a crate, you can use an old rug for the bottom to keep it from sliding around, and to make it more durable. You could sew a ton of old towels together. The possibilities for recycling are endless!
I love the Animal Trustees of Austin
All you people are probably up-to-date on the current saga of my life, including the face that my computer has a virus and all my wonderful photos are unreachable, and that I have several animals around my house. Those two facts are why this post is being written today. I really love the Animal Trustees of Austin, and I will tell you why.
If you are unaware, the Animal Trustees is a low cost spay/neuter service, as well as a clinic for basic animal services (like shots and flea prevention, not medical issues where you’d need a vet). I’m always surprised at the number of people I know who have never even heard of this place. I’m not sure how I heard of it to begin with, but they have saved me tons of money over the years.
That’s my dear puppy, Flapjack. Recently, we had to take him to the Animal Trustees for the following items: heart worm test, 6 months of heart worm medication, 6 months of flea prevention, and nail trim. All of this cost about $130. That sounds like a lot, but my vet would have cost at least $220, at the least. The heart worm test is a one-time deal, and my sweet baby came back clean! Hooray! Taking that into account, since the other expenses are over 6 months, it’s about $18 per month to have my dog, medically. We’re not talking about food or anything. It would be $30 per month if I went to my vet for the basics.
We also got Flapjack and our cat Mushroom fixed there, and they did a wonderful job. You can tell they really care about all the animals, and everyone I’ve talked to has been extremely knowledgeable.
There are 2 separate sections: the wellness clinic, and the spay/neuter clinic. Their website has more details about what they offer, and when to show up. They don’t schedule appointments, so you have to show up, with your animal, ready to wait. Cats MUST be in crates, or they have cardboard carriers for $5. Seriously though, get a cat carrier at the thrift store. I see them all the time. Bleach the hell out of it before you put your pet into it, and I would throw away any bedding in it, just to be on the safe side, but otherwise there should be no worries.
I don’t know what else to write, that isn’t already written more articulately on their site. They are located off I-35 North and Cameron Road, and parking is limited, so try to get there early, and bring the smallest vehicle you own. Also bring a book or something to entertain yourself, because you may have to wait for awhile.
This place provides low cost spay and neuter services partly funded by donations, and with the goal of ending overpopulation of animals. Donating to this place would be a wonderful Christmas gift for the animal lover on your gift list. It’s way better than another ceramic kitten figurine, and you don’t have to wrap it. Yay for anti-shopping!!
