The adventures of Portland Cat

On monday morning (after breakfast and morning wees) we went for a drive up to portland bill

Portland Bill is a nice area on a cliff top with rocks to climb, nice views and ... A lighthouse! (But this isnt dog friendly inside, we wud probably struggle with the stairs any way)

We had a nice walk around looking at the water below and the lighthouse and climbed on some of the rocks (think they were what you call "portland stone") and we sat fur a while and ate some cake and had drinks on one of the rocks.

There is a nice grassy area next to the stone bits what you can walk on and maybe have a picnic and enjoy the scenary (just dont go in thr fenced off area what be MOD and says "keep out dogs working")

Greyt things about portland bill

~big reasonably priced car park
~lots of nice coast views
~lots to sniff and climb if you want to
~cafe on site
~toilets
~local walks


- fotos coming soon -

Play date with Bran and Ernie

Once hooman girl had finally got the tent to stand up we set off to Bournmouth to meet up wiff my fwends fur walkies (well we got a bit lost, then we got stuck in traffic the we got a bit more lost then we got to Bran's house at long last)

We decided on going to the beach and so we drove down to the seafront (I've been here before for the Air Show) Bran showed me where we could walk now it was beach season which means that we can only zoom in certain places. We went on to the beach and all did zoomies and playing. Mahself and Ernie had races and played chase and bran did some solo zoomies and play bows (he's an indendant sort of guy) Ernie did some diving in the sea and chased some seagulls that were digging in to some cuttlefish for their dinner.

After we had used up all our energy we walked back to our wheelies and said bye to Ernie coz he had go get hims hooman puppy. Mahself, Bran, my hooman girl, Brans hoomans and Ontie Em all went back to Brans where the hoomans chatted and us hounds snoozed. Brans hairy hooman cooked dinner for the hoomans and he had made cake fur afters (it was all bery nommy if you ever get invited to brans I suggest you go). Once the hoomans were done chatting and nomming hooman girl said we had to go find the campsite again and make sure the tent was still standing and get the air beds inflated ready fur nite time (plus i still hadnt had dinner).

So we all said goodbye to each other and hairy hooman gave us some cake to take back to the tent with us.

I had soopa time, it was luffly to see my fwends again and get some proper pointy nosed playing in.

Thank you Bran and his hoomans fur haffing us over and fur the noms and Ernie fur playing wiff mahself, it was lots of pointy nosed fun!

Foto's coming shortly!

Higher Moor Farm - Weymouth

Sunday 12th May

Hooman girl comed down stairs at 7am (yes 7am) and began putting lots different noms in to a special bag to stop them getting hot incase the sun came out! Then her loaded bags and sleepy bags and pillows and the camera in to the wheelies (i stayed on the sofa soopavisings). Once her wuz dun organising I was taken fur morning weez and then loaded in to the wheelies as well!

All set and secure we began our adventure!

We drove along lots of zigzaggy roads twisting and turning until we came to a gate and a security barrier. We had arrived at higher moor farm campsite - hooman girl entered a magic code in to the machine and the barrier opened and let us into the field.

- i'll skip all the putting tent up dramas but i sunbathed and had a late breakfast whilst it happened around me -

The campsite

Higher moor farm is a medium sized campsite that allows tents, caravans, and motorhomes (just no commercial vehicles) and naturally dogs are welcomed.
So its like a big field with a little road up the middle and lots little cabins dotted around which are the toilets, showers, etc. There is also a playpark plus goal net, basketball hoop and table tennis table, a farm shop and a sectioned off doggy walking/toilet area (coz it is not polite to do #pooclub on your neighbours doorstep.)

The toilets are inside one of the little portacabins but inside it looks lovely and smart. There are about 5 cubicles and 2 showers (with hand basins for private washing area), a really pawsome hand dryer and a hair dryer too.
The soap dispensers work and were well stocked, plenty of loo roll and the cleanest we seen on a campsite if not overall.
The main door kept swinging open and not securing when shut on the 1st day we stayed but they put a self closing mechanism in whilst we were there which fixed this problem (but stopped me spying on hooman girl).

Play area

No dogs allowed in the play area but it is close to the tent pitches on that side of the site so you can keep peepers on the hooman puppies whilst they play safely.

Dog toilet/walking area

This is a part of the field that has a perimiter fence around it (only around one side so isnt secure area) for you to do wees and pooclub.
This is good because alot of sites say dogs to be exercised off site but that not soopa practical for last wees before bed or early morning pooclub so this is nice to only have to walk to the corner the field - just cross your legs until you get there (we camped as close to it as we could get)

Farm shop

I not sure if dogs are allowed in here but i think not so i waited in the wheelies and sent hooman girl to check out the inside.
They sale ice cream, frozen dinners, dog food, cake, post cards, drinks, sweets, fruit, essential camping equipment like wash products and tinned food and even camping stoves.
It was a nice shop and not too expensive either, nice hooman working there too he was soopa fwendly (hooman girl didnt ask his name tho).

Washing facilities

There is a washing up point on side of the toilet block and roomer has it that there is a laundry room which also has a washing up sink - we didnt see it but the map says its the other side the site by the farm barns. I have seen fotos of it on their facebook page and it looks soopa so if you stay longer than 2 days then you could check those out.

Pawsome points!

1. Not a large site so not overly busy and crowded but also plenty space for everyone
2. Good size pitches
3. Staff are friendly and helpful (they let us check in early too so we could get set up before going go meet my fwends)
4. Clean
4. Good facilities
5. Free wifi
6. Free showers which are temperture and pressure controlled by you

Things that weren't so soopa

1. Very windy insite so peg down that tent well
2. The electricity pilon was quite noisy at times
3. No locks on shower cubicles
4. The grounds very soft so the tent pegs do move about when it's especially windy



(Fotos and links will be added once we have a laptop that works to do them)

Park Day 2.0 BINGO!

My friend Misaki  mentioned on her blog that she had been playing park day bingo which is a game invented by Gizmo and Finn. 

Long tail short you have to choose a bingo card off Gizmo's blog and do all the items on it to make a line of 5 and then shout BINGO!



I've chosen 2 cards to work on whilst I'm away camping next week. 

Here they are ....

I will update this when I get my Bingos! 

Pedigree Nutrition Plan!

So I was surfing the interweb the other week when an email popped in from my good friends at pedigree; as some of you know I did the Pedigree Joint Care + trial last year and they were wondering if I might like to take part in another sort of trial for their "nutritional plan" where basically  I have to eat a bunch their food and treats for 4 weeks and answer some questions about the foods I been eating - This is my favourite sort of product trial coz one thing I'm quite soopa good at is eating. 

A man in a van turned up last week, he knocked our door and said he had a delivery for my hooman girl, him sed it was on a pallet and did us want the pallet (we didn't!) 

This is what he brought out his van fur mahself (obv it was go be fur me not my girl like she gets post for her right?) ... 

I got 96 tins of meat, 3 bags of pedigree vital protection kibbles, a box (a box of boxes actually so 63) joint care + chews and a box of schmackos 

Here's some information of each of the products 

Kibbles 

PEDIGREE^® VITAL PROTECTION™, our new range of dry food is our best ever recipe, specially formulated to deliver superior nutrition through ingredients delivering four key health benefits to enhance Oral Care, Digestion, Skin & Coat & Immunity for dog.

• New and improved.
• 100% complete.
• Developed with our vets.
• No artificial colours or flavours.
• No added sugar.

Vital Protection comes in 3kg bags (like the ones I have here), 1.5kg bags (Chicken) or 15kg bags (Chicken and Beef)

The chart above says I need about 335g of food a day (I'm around 27-30kg)

Wet Food 

PEDIGREE^® VITAL PROTECTION™, our new range of food is our best ever recipe, specially formulated to deliver superior nutrition through ingredients delivering four key health benefits to enhance Healthy teeth and bones, Digestion, Skin & Coat & Immunity.

• Calcium to support healhy bones
• Natural fibres to help keep his insides healthy so he always feels at his best
• Zinc and sunflower oil containing omega 6, known to support healthy skin and shiny coat Vitamin E to help support his immune system so he's ready for anything
• No artificial colours or flavours.
• No added sugar.
• 400g singles in Jelly, Gravy and Loaf
  • 6 x 400g in Jelly, Gravy and Loaf
  • 6 x 400g Meaty Meals in Jelly, Country Casseroles in Gravy
  • 12 x 400g in Jelly, Gravy and Loaf

    ---

    HAS YOUR DOG HAD HIS 4 A DAY ?

At Pedigree^® we believe all dogs should be fed great quality, nutritious food they love.
That is why we've developed our best ever products to support 4 key health areas for your dog's overall health and wellbeing.


HEALTHY TEETH AND BONES:
4 out of 5 dogs over age three may have gum disease, which can lead to serious health problems.  Pedigree^® Dry has an active ingredient on the kibbles that helps to prevent the build up of tartar & a specially designed texture that helps clean your dog's teeth. All Pedigree^® wet and dry food contains calcium to support healthy bones.


HEALTHY DIGESTION:
Bellies aren't just for rubbing. They're for absorbing nutrients, too. So we've upped the levels of nutrients and optimized the natural fibres in our recipes. That special blend can help maintain a healthy digestive tract, which helps your dog get the nutrition he needs to fuel all the amazing things his body does.


SKIN AND COAT:
Think of all the things your dog digs in, runs through, pounces on, rubs against, and rolls in. They're not exactly clean, are they? And the main barriers between your dog and dirt, the elements, and other nasty things, are his skin and coat. All Pedigree^® wet and dry food are formulated with key essential oils including Omega 6 to help support healthy skin and a shiny coat.


SUPPORTS IMMUNE SYSTEM:
No matter how tough your dog seems to be on the outside, his real strength starts on the inside with a healthy immune system. So to help keep your dog strong where it really counts, our recipes have been formulated with enhanced levels of antioxidants like vitamin E  to support his immune system

Schmackos

Dogs love meat and you love to treat your dog with the things he likes best.

• Omega 3 to help keep him fit for life
• Calcium to help give him strong teeth & bones
• Vitamins and Minerals to help maintain his natural defences
• Available in 2 flavours - Beef and Chicken & Rice
• 12 sticks and 20 sticks

Joint care + 

• 72% of dogs fed Pedigree® Joint Care™+ daily experience a higher level of mobility within 6 weeks
• 3x more glucosamine per daily stick compared with the number 2 selling joint health dog treat*
• All active ingredients in a palatable easy to feed stick format -­‐ no tablets or powder
• No tablets or powder, just a delicious easy-­‐to--feed stick
• Clinically proven recipe
• Developed with vets
• Low in fat -­‐ small/medium contains 49 calories per stick, large contains 67 calories
• Free from artificial colours or flavours
• Available in weekly 7 stick packs or 3 weekly 21 stick packs

So about the trial - 

Before Pedigree sent me the food and treats they emailed us a questionnaire asking important questions about my eating habits and exercise and health etc. 

For example they asked how old I was, what breed I was and how mobile I am, how much exercise I get a day on average and if my weight is okay or not. 

Then after I tried the foods they want to know how I got on so have asked me to tell them if I liked the food, if I ate it all or left it, what my favourite bits were and if I will carry on eating it or recommend it to a friend. 

STAY TUNED! ....

Cornish Beaches by Bazil

As I haven't been to much of Cornwall and only seen 3 beaches there I asked a friend of mine to help me out with some vital info on a few more Cornwall Beaches.

Bazil is a young Terrier (he tells me he a Jack Russel X Border Terrier), He recently agreed to share his forever sofa with a sisfur called Molly and they love nothing more than a zoom and sniff at the beach and sporting rather fetching bandanna’s! (I do luff a bandanna!!!) 

Crantock Beach – Newquay

Car Parking – there is a National Trust car park for the beach, open all year but charges apply only during National Trust season, free to National Trust members.

This is the most amazing beach for zoomies, when the tide is low the beach is huge. You can walk to Crantock at low tide from Newquay along the river Gannel. Up from the beach there are some brilliant dunes which are great for exploring but we stay on our leads otherwise we would chase the bunnies & you need to watch for adders in the Spring months as they don’t take to kindly to us sniffing at their young and can give us dogs a nasty bite! Ouch!

Dog waste bins in the car park. Pooey!

Just up from the National Trust car park is a cafe for yummy noms, which is open during the summer season.

Fistral Beach – Newquay

Car Parking - there is a car park at the beach which is controlled by “Parking Eye” cameras, make sure you put a ticket on your car as the fine for not paying is huge!

You can also park at the other end of the beach, South Fistral, up at Pentire on the road which is free. This does get busy during the summer months though.

Fistral is a famous surfer’s beach which is very popular and gets very busy in the summer, it is dog friendly all year round but we tend to only go in the evenings during the busy times as it is quieter then. We’ve watched lots of great sunsets down here in the evenings. Another big beach at low tide and lots of locals uses it for dog walking. Lots of bins situated along the beach so no excuse not to pick up our poop!

At South Fistral end is dog friendly Bodhis, for just a coffee or a full dinner and down the main end of the beach are some surf shops, we have to go in Fat face every time for mum. There is also a dog friendly beach bar for a cheeky beer or a coffee, a Ben & Jerrys ice cream shop which sells Cornish pastys & sausage rolls and a seasonal fish n chip shop, nom nom!

It is also good to walk up to the headland from here where you can sometimes see the famous Cribber wave and some very brave surfers and some spectacular views. For a real treat you can pop into the very posh, dog friendly Headland Hotel for a yummy cream tea.

Mawgan Porth

Car Parking – there are some privately owned car parks which tend to charge by the day/half day across the road from the beach.

Dog poo bins at the edge of the beach.

Another year round dog friendly beach where the tide goes out a long way, with a stream running in to the sea. We like to walk across the beach up onto the cliff path along to Bedruthan Steps where there is a National Trust (open National Trust season), this is normally where we take mum for her mother’s day cream tea. Dogs are only allowed in the garden here though, pfft. There is also a national trust shop and some picnic benches if you like to bring your own noms.

Mum n dad also like a very basic campsite up at Bedruthan Steps, open July and August only,dog friendly with the most amazing views. Watch the sun go down eating your BBQ and wake up to the sound of wildlife and the sea, heaven.

 Newquay Harbour to Lusty Glaze

Car Parking - you can park in one of the many public car parks located in or near the town.

This is a lovely walk to do at low tide, pop on your wellies and take a long stroll from the harbour where you can often see the seals , across Towan, Great Western , Tolcarne and onto Lusty Glaze. During the summer months you can’t go up from the beach at Tolcarne or Lusty Glaze as dogs are prohibited, although at Lusty we are allowed on the beach in the evenings, I think from 6pm. All the beaches are accessed by steep steps/hills so not for those of you who like the flat. You must also keep an eye on the tide times as it is easy to get cut off at Lusty end of the beaches.

Treyarnon to Constantine Bay

Car Parking – all year round parking in a field by the beach, charges by the day during summer season.

There is a burger van and small shop in the car park and also public toilets. There is also a YMCA hostel and cafe.

Poo bins located near the toilets.

We love it here, a small beach at Treyarnon but a huge long beach at Constantine. We like to go down on the rocks at Treyarnon with the nets and buckets for some amazing rock pooling and walk along to Constantine. There is sometimes a coffee van at the top of Constantine and there are public toilets just off the beach.

Perranporth

Car Parking - there is a pay on entry car park at Perranporth, charges during summer months.

Public toilets are in the car and poo bins are at the edge of the beach.

Perranporth is a holiday town with various pasty shops, fish n chip shops, pubs and cafes. The Watering Hole is a lovely dog friendly pub on the beach that does the best hot chocolate around (so the boy tells me) and some good food.

A huge long beach at low tide which is dog friendly all year round, but there is a restriction during the summer months to keep us on our leads during certain times (I’m not sure what these times are) this beach gets mega busy where the lifeguarded area is but not so busy further along. A great out of season beach for long walk and super zoomies.

Read more of Bazil and Molly's recommendations and lots of other greyt dog friendly attractions in our latest book 

Rolo Hound Adventures: Pets at Home meet and greet blog

My friend Rolo has been doing some fundraising too :) Check him out!

Rolo Hound Adventures: Pets at Home meet and greet blog: I just realised I talked about today's meet and greet in Sutton but I haven't told you about about another event I did. We were out...