OK, I admit it, I've been gone from the blogosphere for an extended period of time. Honestly, it wasn't on purpose, I've just been lazy. Well, I've been busy too but...ugh...mostly lazy. Here we go -
The title today is "Change, change, change." Never has there been a more appropriate title. The first quarter of 2010 has seen so much change at Zane + Zara's and now Zspa. Let's start with Zspa. Zspa was a difficult birth so say the least. It wasn't just breach it was oversized and clawing its way to stay in the womb. If it could go wrong it went wrong and then soiled itself just so you didn't want to fix whatever issue had popped up. It was a brutal process. Opening should have been in October and managed to stretch until the end of January. Budgets came, went and then burst into flames just for good measure. Much in the way of foul language was expended. But as the french say, "c'est le vie." Zspa did manage to open. Soon after opening we brought onboard a groomer of some note, Chad Jensen, and things began to click nicely. Zspa quickly began to gain a loyal following and some nice Yelp reviews for its, shall we say, free-range style of grooming. While we do own cages, very nice cages I might point out, we never really used them. Dogs that were waiting to be picked up simply hung out in the front of the spa and mingled. It was nice and relaxed. Yet something was off.
The space was simply to large to handle just grooming but was too small to offer the obvious choice of boarding. We needed to rethink our business strategy and quickly. We fell back on what we had wanted to do in the very beginning: offer retail and grooming in one space. That was the original plan for the space at 2205 until we allowed ourselves to be nudged into opening Zspa at 2211. It was now going to be the plan for 2211. John pulled out his tape measure and figured he could fit 85-90% of Zane + Zara's into the empty space available at 2211. There was a short, very concise, negotiation with the landlord and the move began. Zane + Zara's and Zspa were going to merge into one location, 2211 W Roscoe St, and Z3 was going to be born.
The heavy lifting was completed in about 3 days. That brought over about 75% of Z+Z and then we became, well, distracted. Truth is, we've been distracted every since. While the new space is very 'pulled together' and organized the old space looks like a scene from Saving Private Ryan sans the bodies. Next week will be the week that changes all of that. We'll go in and clean out the space, mop the floors and leave it ready to rent. Right now it just looks like it needs assistance from the Red Cross.
So, how's business, you ask? Honestly, while we got to where we are by taking a circuitous route, things could not be better. The combined store/spa has turned out to be the good idea we originally thought. The spa continues to grow its clientele and the store is just as good as it ever was. I think many people saw the closing of 2205 as a terrible thing. But as soon as we get to discussing it, I believe they see the logic of the merger and cease to view it as, "Zane + Zara's is CLOSED!" The service is still great, we still have an amazing selection of wonderful toys and the food and treats are all above reproach.
Change, change, change...to many are bad things. They are upsetting and unsettling. For Zane + Zara's and Zspa: change, change, change have all been good things. There's a fresh skin and a time to shake off the old and embrace the new. Come in and say hello to an old friend. Take a look at our version of grooming and reacquaint yourself with all of the things that make Zane + Zara's a cool place to shop for your furry friend.
PS
And while it has been totally unintentional, Zspa has become THE place to have your cat groomed. Now most would consider cats and grooming an oxymoron. It evidently is not. From the looks of it, there is a huge population of felines incapable of doing the job themselves. Where are they turning? Zspa and the talents of Naoko and Chad Jensen. Unexpected, yes but even a cat needs a day at the spa every now and then.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Fruity in all it's glory.
OK, regarding the whole 'fruity' incident, did I over react? Boy, that really seems to be the question. I'll admit it, I over reacted. Was it justified or do I need to relax a little. It's a good question. I suppose you have to know me. I'll start with a little back ground information and see if I can tie it all together at the end.
You see, I've been a 'fruit' all of my life. Yeah, I've been gay, a sissy, a queer and a fag but, for the most part, I've been a fruit. I managed to work with that. I mean overall it's not a bad word...fruit. And with this little word in my pocket, I did what most people who are away from the norm do, I coped. I developed a thick skin, a quick wit and the ability to fade into the background when necessary. Other's develop different coping mechanisms but, those were mine. I went through high school as safely as possible. Though, I have to say, that wit thing was probably my most successful defense mechanism. When threatened I did not run, or fade, or shrink - I got loud and usually funny. Having no fear of attention, I could cause a scene like few others. This is a knack I still have today. In my high school year-book the powers that be put together the perfect student using attributes from various individuals. I was picked for my individuality. If they only understood the amount of effort that I put into being average. I kept my grades average, I had average pursuits away from school, and excelled at none of them, and I did things expected of a young man. I didn't want to be noticed for who I was, as I was the 'fruit.'I didn't want to be the 'fruit.' I knew the connotations but I really didn't know why or how it applied to me. It just was.
Many of you will have no idea what I'm talking about short of the sexual references but this isn't, at its heart, about being gay. It's about being different and you have to be different to recognize why I went off on the 'fruity' woman. With a nod towards those who see the differences in us all, most of the United States' population are two things: white and straight. You can take these thing together or separately. If you are not these things, you are different. And as a populous, we are tough on those who are different. Even when we are trying to be nice to them, we're hard on them. Fruit is a gentle way to say, well, fag. My brother would use it to tease me like brothers are apt to do. It was used as a way to taunt but not crush. As a way to tease but not draw blood. And this is a strange thing for many of us to recognize as it is built into how we interact. Look at the word 'black.' If someone has skin, darker than the standard population, they are black. The sum of their parts is a color. And we're not trying to insult anyone, it's just thought of as a valid description: they're 'black.' Personally, I love Asian. You take four people and put them in a boat. One Korean, one Japanese, one Chinese and one American. All of them are capable of telling where the others are from: the American knows the others are Asian. I'm off point here, sorry. The truth is, these descriptions have histories and we need to recognize that.
The word 'fruit' has a history for, not just, me but every gay man who has ever cringed hearing it. That cute little slam that was easier to take than 'faggot' so you let it slide or even laughed along. That night, while I didn't laugh along, I did let it slide and I shouldn't have. I should have done what I do best and that is draw attention to myself: the fruit. I should have called her on it. Instead, I let it fester until it came out all over Facebook. Probably not my finest moment.
Today I had a friend come into Zspa for a peek, We chatted about all sorts of things and I made the comment that it looked like the gayest place on earth. She sort of made a sigh of relief in that I had just signaled it was OK to poke a little fun. I felt bad because there was this feeling that I had stripped that ability from her with my little Facebook tirade. That was not my intent. Look, I'm a grown man now. I am not that wounded high school student. I give thanks everyday for the upbringing I was given because along with getting older, I grew an ability to laugh at myself. I credit my family for that ability. There are parts of me that are so stereotypical I must glow at night. My friends, gay and straight, know that they can make fun of me...all of me. But there was no humor in 'fruity.' It was just a blunt adjective. It was used to describe something she didn't like so, it was used negatively. "This leash is too fruity." It was a leash for God's sake not some Carmen Miranda hat for dogs. Just where do you get the guts to come into my store and toss around the word 'fruity' to describe things you don't like? THAT got under my skin. Did I over-react? No, my timing was just off. I should have taken care of business right then-and-there. I would have felt better and people wouldn't be going around saying I need to chill out. Lesson learned.
And I have to make note of just one more thing: fruity girl's dog. Now I'm not one to point fingers but there is all sorts of irony at play here. I mean this dog was all of 8 lbs and looked to be a Poodle. I'm just sayin'.
You see, I've been a 'fruit' all of my life. Yeah, I've been gay, a sissy, a queer and a fag but, for the most part, I've been a fruit. I managed to work with that. I mean overall it's not a bad word...fruit. And with this little word in my pocket, I did what most people who are away from the norm do, I coped. I developed a thick skin, a quick wit and the ability to fade into the background when necessary. Other's develop different coping mechanisms but, those were mine. I went through high school as safely as possible. Though, I have to say, that wit thing was probably my most successful defense mechanism. When threatened I did not run, or fade, or shrink - I got loud and usually funny. Having no fear of attention, I could cause a scene like few others. This is a knack I still have today. In my high school year-book the powers that be put together the perfect student using attributes from various individuals. I was picked for my individuality. If they only understood the amount of effort that I put into being average. I kept my grades average, I had average pursuits away from school, and excelled at none of them, and I did things expected of a young man. I didn't want to be noticed for who I was, as I was the 'fruit.'I didn't want to be the 'fruit.' I knew the connotations but I really didn't know why or how it applied to me. It just was.
Many of you will have no idea what I'm talking about short of the sexual references but this isn't, at its heart, about being gay. It's about being different and you have to be different to recognize why I went off on the 'fruity' woman. With a nod towards those who see the differences in us all, most of the United States' population are two things: white and straight. You can take these thing together or separately. If you are not these things, you are different. And as a populous, we are tough on those who are different. Even when we are trying to be nice to them, we're hard on them. Fruit is a gentle way to say, well, fag. My brother would use it to tease me like brothers are apt to do. It was used as a way to taunt but not crush. As a way to tease but not draw blood. And this is a strange thing for many of us to recognize as it is built into how we interact. Look at the word 'black.' If someone has skin, darker than the standard population, they are black. The sum of their parts is a color. And we're not trying to insult anyone, it's just thought of as a valid description: they're 'black.' Personally, I love Asian. You take four people and put them in a boat. One Korean, one Japanese, one Chinese and one American. All of them are capable of telling where the others are from: the American knows the others are Asian. I'm off point here, sorry. The truth is, these descriptions have histories and we need to recognize that.
The word 'fruit' has a history for, not just, me but every gay man who has ever cringed hearing it. That cute little slam that was easier to take than 'faggot' so you let it slide or even laughed along. That night, while I didn't laugh along, I did let it slide and I shouldn't have. I should have done what I do best and that is draw attention to myself: the fruit. I should have called her on it. Instead, I let it fester until it came out all over Facebook. Probably not my finest moment.
Today I had a friend come into Zspa for a peek, We chatted about all sorts of things and I made the comment that it looked like the gayest place on earth. She sort of made a sigh of relief in that I had just signaled it was OK to poke a little fun. I felt bad because there was this feeling that I had stripped that ability from her with my little Facebook tirade. That was not my intent. Look, I'm a grown man now. I am not that wounded high school student. I give thanks everyday for the upbringing I was given because along with getting older, I grew an ability to laugh at myself. I credit my family for that ability. There are parts of me that are so stereotypical I must glow at night. My friends, gay and straight, know that they can make fun of me...all of me. But there was no humor in 'fruity.' It was just a blunt adjective. It was used to describe something she didn't like so, it was used negatively. "This leash is too fruity." It was a leash for God's sake not some Carmen Miranda hat for dogs. Just where do you get the guts to come into my store and toss around the word 'fruity' to describe things you don't like? THAT got under my skin. Did I over-react? No, my timing was just off. I should have taken care of business right then-and-there. I would have felt better and people wouldn't be going around saying I need to chill out. Lesson learned.
And I have to make note of just one more thing: fruity girl's dog. Now I'm not one to point fingers but there is all sorts of irony at play here. I mean this dog was all of 8 lbs and looked to be a Poodle. I'm just sayin'.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Help for those in need or give a little get a little.
Well, it's Sunday, November 07th and Russell's mom is coming into town for a couple of days to assist with decorating Zane + Zara's. This will mark our second holiday season and I'm so excited I just want to pee on something. John and Russell have promised to take last year's festivities and amp it up a bit. Personally, I had to hide the hot-glue gun. The last thing I need is a kicky set of reindeer antlers attached to my head. Stupid queens. Please remember that Zane + Zara's will be closed Monday, November 08 for decorating. We'll reopen Tuesday, November 09th. Come in and see what a couple of crazed elf can do to a respectable pet boutique.
Now let's talk about this holiday season. You'd think that two years into a new administration our country would be reaping the rewards of a growing economy. I mean that was what we were promised, wasn't it? A rising tide, lifting all boats? The end of the Republican leadership that did little but send us to war, butcher our economy and lay waste to our moral high-ground. Instead, what we have is a stubborn 10% unemployment and more poverty and struggling than we've seen in decades. Even for those of us who are among the more fortunate it is a more difficult time. Money is tight, the banks simply don't want to make loans and the idea of growing a small business is unheard of. So, what can be done?
We obviously cannot speak for everyone but, at Zane + Zara's we are trying to take a more simplistic approach to this holiday season. We're going to focus more on the basics of retail and reaching out into our community. We'll start with a great sale beginning on Tuesday, November 09. We have joined up with our friends at Natura Pet Foods, that's EVO, Innova and California Natural for the uninitiated, for a great sale that will, at the same time, benefit our friends at three local rescues: PAWS, Chicago Bully Breed Rescue and The Anti-Cruelty Society. The SALE portion is very straight forward: Beginning November, 09 all Natura Pet Food Products will be 25% off for 4-weeks! That means you have from November 09 - December 07 to take advantage of some of the best dog and cat food available for 25% off. That, my friends, is quite a deal but, it doesn't stop there. Depending on the size of your purchase, you get to make a donation to one of our three sponsored rescues:
Buy a 5lb bag and you get to reach over and put one can of food in a basket.
Buy a 15lb bag and you do the same with two cans of food.
Buy a 30lb bag and you get to donate three cans or one bag of treats.
For the cat lover you still get the 25% off and then:
Buy 5 cans and donate 1.
Buy 10 cans and donate 2.
Buy 15 cans and donate 3.
Personally, I think this is a wonderful way to start the holiday season. You get to save a little money and thanks to Ross at Natura Pet Foods, you get to give a little something to those who are less fortunate. Let's have this be the beginning of a wonderful, generous holiday season.
---Zane
Now let's talk about this holiday season. You'd think that two years into a new administration our country would be reaping the rewards of a growing economy. I mean that was what we were promised, wasn't it? A rising tide, lifting all boats? The end of the Republican leadership that did little but send us to war, butcher our economy and lay waste to our moral high-ground. Instead, what we have is a stubborn 10% unemployment and more poverty and struggling than we've seen in decades. Even for those of us who are among the more fortunate it is a more difficult time. Money is tight, the banks simply don't want to make loans and the idea of growing a small business is unheard of. So, what can be done?
We obviously cannot speak for everyone but, at Zane + Zara's we are trying to take a more simplistic approach to this holiday season. We're going to focus more on the basics of retail and reaching out into our community. We'll start with a great sale beginning on Tuesday, November 09. We have joined up with our friends at Natura Pet Foods, that's EVO, Innova and California Natural for the uninitiated, for a great sale that will, at the same time, benefit our friends at three local rescues: PAWS, Chicago Bully Breed Rescue and The Anti-Cruelty Society. The SALE portion is very straight forward: Beginning November, 09 all Natura Pet Food Products will be 25% off for 4-weeks! That means you have from November 09 - December 07 to take advantage of some of the best dog and cat food available for 25% off. That, my friends, is quite a deal but, it doesn't stop there. Depending on the size of your purchase, you get to make a donation to one of our three sponsored rescues:
Buy a 5lb bag and you get to reach over and put one can of food in a basket.
Buy a 15lb bag and you do the same with two cans of food.
Buy a 30lb bag and you get to donate three cans or one bag of treats.
For the cat lover you still get the 25% off and then:
Buy 5 cans and donate 1.
Buy 10 cans and donate 2.
Buy 15 cans and donate 3.
Personally, I think this is a wonderful way to start the holiday season. You get to save a little money and thanks to Ross at Natura Pet Foods, you get to give a little something to those who are less fortunate. Let's have this be the beginning of a wonderful, generous holiday season.
---Zane
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Things on my mind...Boxer musings.
OK, I have to say, I have a lot on my mind these days. No one thing is really enough for a whole blog but, still, lots to chat about.
First, for those of you who are curious, Zspa should be open around November 15th. Yeah, a month and a half late but, who's counting. John has a meeting tomorrow to start advertising. Very exciting. I can't wait to see the place. Granted I plan to keep my visits to a minimum as I am bath adverse but it's nice to know that if the need arises I won't have to stand in line. Geez, I hope I won't have to stand in line.
Second, did anyone keep up with the whole "salmonella in eggs" thing that struck over the summer? It's hard to fathom that over half a BILLION eggs were recalled and thousands of people got very, very sick. Now I bring this up because of some little conversations I've heard in the store. Zane + Zara's carries a lot of Merrick products. I mean A LOT! We tend to gravitate to the, oh I don't know, stranger things they offer: pig snouts, hoofs, tendons, etc. I think John and Russell choose some of the stuff for shear shock value but, who argues with success? Every now and then we'll have someone turn their noses up at the Merrick displays and grumble that they would never buy a Merrick product because they've had a recall. OK, it's true, this summer Merrick did recall one of their treats. The odd thing is that they did it before anyone got sick. Contrast that with the summer egg debacle which saw half a billion eggs recalled AFTER people started dropping like flies. Before is good, after is bad. Now, what I find most amusing is that no one I know has stopped buying eggs for their family. People still bake, scramble and souffle. Yet, when faced with a proactive recall of pet snacks, where no one was actually harmed, people will boycott the offending company. You will happily sacrifice your children to the egg Gods but, protect your dogs to the extreme. I have to say, I'm impressed. This is why Soylent Green was made of people and not dogs. Crackers made of people was believable. Crackers made of dogs would never have found a market. I love humans!
Now let's touch on morality. I think this is referred to as a "blind item." Why do humans insist on lying? You never hear of a dog or cat lying. It is just not in our nature. Say what you will about temperament but, with a dog or cat, what you see is what you get. Humans, though, you are a complex bunch. Your actions are often disguised by your words. You'll do something for whatever reason and then deny doing it or, when asked, offer a different reason for why you did it. Why is this? Take Natura Pet Foods for example. We all know they were sold to Proctor and Gamble. We also know that many stores decided to take Natura products off their shelves because of said sale. What I don't get is the people who find it necessary to fabricate a reason for doing so. "They've changed the formulas." "They've decided to send production to China." "They've started to use ground up cat carcasses." Why the fear of saying, "Because I wanted too." Why the lies? It's like the guy from NPR that said when he sees someone in Muslim garments on an airplane he gets a little nervous. I doubt he is the only person in the US who has those thoughts...he just expressed them. And I have to give him credit, he owned them. I'm a firm believer that it is only through an honest exchange of ideas where meaningful progress can be made. John has always said that he'd rather deal with someone who was honest in their dislike of gays than one who smiled to his face and then stabbed him in the back. What's the phrase? Love the sinner, hate the sin. What a vile bunch of puke. How about this idea: take today and make an effort to undo a lie you've told...or a rumor you've passed on as fact. Reach out and correct a wrong. Teach yourself a lesson so that you might think twice before repeating the behavior. It might do you some good and you might end up being a slightly better human. All dogs go to heaven, you humans have work to do.
What else is on my mind these days? Can you believe the holiday season is so close? The end of October is just around the corner. Let's take a moment and give some thought to those of us who are less fortunate. I know money is tight but, how about we make a collective agreement to help someone in need during this holiday season. There are so many good things that can be done with such little effort. Zane + Zara's wants to help and we reached out to some of our good friends for assistance. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and this blog for some really cool ideas on how to help those most in need. I'd venture a guess in a week or so the love will be spreading. Take care, Zane.
First, for those of you who are curious, Zspa should be open around November 15th. Yeah, a month and a half late but, who's counting. John has a meeting tomorrow to start advertising. Very exciting. I can't wait to see the place. Granted I plan to keep my visits to a minimum as I am bath adverse but it's nice to know that if the need arises I won't have to stand in line. Geez, I hope I won't have to stand in line.
Second, did anyone keep up with the whole "salmonella in eggs" thing that struck over the summer? It's hard to fathom that over half a BILLION eggs were recalled and thousands of people got very, very sick. Now I bring this up because of some little conversations I've heard in the store. Zane + Zara's carries a lot of Merrick products. I mean A LOT! We tend to gravitate to the, oh I don't know, stranger things they offer: pig snouts, hoofs, tendons, etc. I think John and Russell choose some of the stuff for shear shock value but, who argues with success? Every now and then we'll have someone turn their noses up at the Merrick displays and grumble that they would never buy a Merrick product because they've had a recall. OK, it's true, this summer Merrick did recall one of their treats. The odd thing is that they did it before anyone got sick. Contrast that with the summer egg debacle which saw half a billion eggs recalled AFTER people started dropping like flies. Before is good, after is bad. Now, what I find most amusing is that no one I know has stopped buying eggs for their family. People still bake, scramble and souffle. Yet, when faced with a proactive recall of pet snacks, where no one was actually harmed, people will boycott the offending company. You will happily sacrifice your children to the egg Gods but, protect your dogs to the extreme. I have to say, I'm impressed. This is why Soylent Green was made of people and not dogs. Crackers made of people was believable. Crackers made of dogs would never have found a market. I love humans!
Now let's touch on morality. I think this is referred to as a "blind item." Why do humans insist on lying? You never hear of a dog or cat lying. It is just not in our nature. Say what you will about temperament but, with a dog or cat, what you see is what you get. Humans, though, you are a complex bunch. Your actions are often disguised by your words. You'll do something for whatever reason and then deny doing it or, when asked, offer a different reason for why you did it. Why is this? Take Natura Pet Foods for example. We all know they were sold to Proctor and Gamble. We also know that many stores decided to take Natura products off their shelves because of said sale. What I don't get is the people who find it necessary to fabricate a reason for doing so. "They've changed the formulas." "They've decided to send production to China." "They've started to use ground up cat carcasses." Why the fear of saying, "Because I wanted too." Why the lies? It's like the guy from NPR that said when he sees someone in Muslim garments on an airplane he gets a little nervous. I doubt he is the only person in the US who has those thoughts...he just expressed them. And I have to give him credit, he owned them. I'm a firm believer that it is only through an honest exchange of ideas where meaningful progress can be made. John has always said that he'd rather deal with someone who was honest in their dislike of gays than one who smiled to his face and then stabbed him in the back. What's the phrase? Love the sinner, hate the sin. What a vile bunch of puke. How about this idea: take today and make an effort to undo a lie you've told...or a rumor you've passed on as fact. Reach out and correct a wrong. Teach yourself a lesson so that you might think twice before repeating the behavior. It might do you some good and you might end up being a slightly better human. All dogs go to heaven, you humans have work to do.
What else is on my mind these days? Can you believe the holiday season is so close? The end of October is just around the corner. Let's take a moment and give some thought to those of us who are less fortunate. I know money is tight but, how about we make a collective agreement to help someone in need during this holiday season. There are so many good things that can be done with such little effort. Zane + Zara's wants to help and we reached out to some of our good friends for assistance. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and this blog for some really cool ideas on how to help those most in need. I'd venture a guess in a week or so the love will be spreading. Take care, Zane.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Lotus and K9 Naturals
OK, we're all up to speed on Wellness. I know many of you are unhappy but change is the only consistent thing in this world...OK, taxes too.
John and Russell are very excited about two new products set to grace our shelves. The first is called Lotus and we have a young lady in our neighborhood to thank for the heads-up on this wonderful product. www.lotuspetfoods.com This sweet young lady comes in to Zane + Zara's regularly. She is a fan of sharing a cookie or two with her dog and running errands for her mom. The last time she came in she asked if we carried Lotus canned food. I was taken aback as I'd never heard of Lotus Pet Foods. Well, the research started.
This stuff looked really good. Great ingredients list and US owned and produced. The next step was a meet and greet at the Backer Show. (A pet care trade show held in Chicago each year.) We met the owner of Lotus Pet Foods and came away very impressed. They are quite an established brand on the west coast and are now making the move east. All natural ingredients and baked, not extruded so they have a better nutritional profile. Their canned food not only smells fantastic but looks the part. We put in our ISO (Initial Stocking Order) right then and there. Lotus will be the perfect replacement for Wellness as they are guided by tenants that guide our store: only the best stuff for your best friend.
Now Lotus, all of their fantastic ingredients aside, is a typical dog and cat food: Canned and kibble with a grain-free alternative. The other product is not so typical...in many ways. It is called K9 Natural and is from New Zealand.
As many of you know, John is a flight attendant for United Airlines. He was on a trip back from Amsterdam nursing a torn right shoulder. (A story for later on. Not one of John's shinning moments. Yutz!) One of the flight attendants came to John telling of a guy in Business Class that made dog food. Well, he was the owner of K9 Natural. He and John had much to talk about as his food was being introduced into the US market and one of the major distributors is one that we use: Zeus. John came away impressed.
K9 Naturals is a freeze-dried product containing only the very highest grade ingredients. Their motivation is to give your dog a diet that most closely resembles that of a wild canine without the carcass to lug around the house. I was a little skeptical because most raw or freeze-dried diets become very expensive when dealing with larger, say 30lb and up dogs. Yet, the stuff really sounds impressive.
Speaking of expense, let's do a little comparison work here. Everyone likes to do comparisons using a small dog. I don't think that's fair, especially in Roscoe Village, home of the large family dog. We have three dogs in our house and the small one, Zara, is 40 lbs. I think we'll do our comparison using Zara.
Our top of the line kibble is probably Orijen Regional Red. It is grain-free and high protein with a spectacular reputation. The cost for a 29.7 lb bag is $75.99. Their feeding guide shows that a dog like Zara, who is 40 lbs, fit and active would be about 2.25 cups a day. When you do all the math, ugh, you get about 26 days worth of food in the bag. That works out to be approximately $2.92 a day.
If you want to step up your game and give your dog the benefits of a more natural diet, you can go the raw route. For this example we'll use our favorite: Stella & Chewys, large patties, beef. The cost of a 12 patty, 6lb sack is 28.99. If you use their on-line feeding guide, Zara would eat 1.5 of the large patties per day. Do the math and you come out with about $3.62 per day. This additional expense is one of the reasons that a raw diet is much more popular for smaller dogs. While feeding raw is a fantastic idea the larger dogs usually price themselves out of the market. It's a pity. Large breeds could use the benefits of a raw diet. It may be my opinion but, I think you'd see less of the ailments that haunt larger breeds, like hip dysplasia, if they had the benefits of a raw diet.
Now let's look at the product we are thinking about bringing in: K9 Natural. As with most things we won't be putting this our our shelves until it receives an in-home test. I will say that if you listen to the owner of the company and take a look at what is out on the web, this stuff looks to be the bomb. As with all things though, a cost must be attached and YOWZA does this stuff look expensive. Honestly really, really expensive; I think they are slaughtering gold plated animals. The product is freeze-dried so it is shelf stable (re. doesn't go bad.) and made with the very finest, human grade, New Zealand meats and produce. All you do is scoop it out, add a little warm water to rehydrate and put it down for your dog to enjoy. Now let's talk price: an 8.8 lb box is priced around $199.00. (I'll give you a moment to catch your breath.) That 8.8 lb box rehydrates into 35.2 lb. The feeding instructions for K9 Natural are a little different: for a 40 lb dog you would feed 1-3% of body weight. (I burned up the calculator for this one!) I used 2% as an average and for Zara that would mean feeding 12.8 oz per day. The 8.8 lb box converts into 563.2 oz of rehydrated food. Do the math and you get about 44 days worth of food in that 8.8 lb box. (Have you reached for the oxygen bottle yet?) K9 Natural will run you a very dear $4.52 per day to feed a 40 lb dog. That, my friends, is on the pricey side.
So, do we devote shelf space to K9 Natural? Honestly, I don't know if our market will bite on such an expensive product. It may be the finest product on the market but these are difficult times for many people, even those who still maintain healthy disposable income. Everyone should drop me a comment. Is your best friend worth the K9 Natural price? Is this just a product for smaller dogs where the price per serving is a little easier on the wallet? Does John need to start flying to New Zealand and smuggling in K9? You tell me. In the meantime John has promised us a box on K9 Natural to try. Between the three of us, that $199.00, 8.8 lb box should last....minutes, hours....maybe a week. All I can say is it better be the best thing since sliced bread and I'd better poop perfume after dinner. I'm just saying....
John and Russell are very excited about two new products set to grace our shelves. The first is called Lotus and we have a young lady in our neighborhood to thank for the heads-up on this wonderful product. www.lotuspetfoods.com This sweet young lady comes in to Zane + Zara's regularly. She is a fan of sharing a cookie or two with her dog and running errands for her mom. The last time she came in she asked if we carried Lotus canned food. I was taken aback as I'd never heard of Lotus Pet Foods. Well, the research started.
This stuff looked really good. Great ingredients list and US owned and produced. The next step was a meet and greet at the Backer Show. (A pet care trade show held in Chicago each year.) We met the owner of Lotus Pet Foods and came away very impressed. They are quite an established brand on the west coast and are now making the move east. All natural ingredients and baked, not extruded so they have a better nutritional profile. Their canned food not only smells fantastic but looks the part. We put in our ISO (Initial Stocking Order) right then and there. Lotus will be the perfect replacement for Wellness as they are guided by tenants that guide our store: only the best stuff for your best friend.
Now Lotus, all of their fantastic ingredients aside, is a typical dog and cat food: Canned and kibble with a grain-free alternative. The other product is not so typical...in many ways. It is called K9 Natural and is from New Zealand.
As many of you know, John is a flight attendant for United Airlines. He was on a trip back from Amsterdam nursing a torn right shoulder. (A story for later on. Not one of John's shinning moments. Yutz!) One of the flight attendants came to John telling of a guy in Business Class that made dog food. Well, he was the owner of K9 Natural. He and John had much to talk about as his food was being introduced into the US market and one of the major distributors is one that we use: Zeus. John came away impressed.
K9 Naturals is a freeze-dried product containing only the very highest grade ingredients. Their motivation is to give your dog a diet that most closely resembles that of a wild canine without the carcass to lug around the house. I was a little skeptical because most raw or freeze-dried diets become very expensive when dealing with larger, say 30lb and up dogs. Yet, the stuff really sounds impressive.
Speaking of expense, let's do a little comparison work here. Everyone likes to do comparisons using a small dog. I don't think that's fair, especially in Roscoe Village, home of the large family dog. We have three dogs in our house and the small one, Zara, is 40 lbs. I think we'll do our comparison using Zara.
Our top of the line kibble is probably Orijen Regional Red. It is grain-free and high protein with a spectacular reputation. The cost for a 29.7 lb bag is $75.99. Their feeding guide shows that a dog like Zara, who is 40 lbs, fit and active would be about 2.25 cups a day. When you do all the math, ugh, you get about 26 days worth of food in the bag. That works out to be approximately $2.92 a day.
If you want to step up your game and give your dog the benefits of a more natural diet, you can go the raw route. For this example we'll use our favorite: Stella & Chewys, large patties, beef. The cost of a 12 patty, 6lb sack is 28.99. If you use their on-line feeding guide, Zara would eat 1.5 of the large patties per day. Do the math and you come out with about $3.62 per day. This additional expense is one of the reasons that a raw diet is much more popular for smaller dogs. While feeding raw is a fantastic idea the larger dogs usually price themselves out of the market. It's a pity. Large breeds could use the benefits of a raw diet. It may be my opinion but, I think you'd see less of the ailments that haunt larger breeds, like hip dysplasia, if they had the benefits of a raw diet.
Now let's look at the product we are thinking about bringing in: K9 Natural. As with most things we won't be putting this our our shelves until it receives an in-home test. I will say that if you listen to the owner of the company and take a look at what is out on the web, this stuff looks to be the bomb. As with all things though, a cost must be attached and YOWZA does this stuff look expensive. Honestly really, really expensive; I think they are slaughtering gold plated animals. The product is freeze-dried so it is shelf stable (re. doesn't go bad.) and made with the very finest, human grade, New Zealand meats and produce. All you do is scoop it out, add a little warm water to rehydrate and put it down for your dog to enjoy. Now let's talk price: an 8.8 lb box is priced around $199.00. (I'll give you a moment to catch your breath.) That 8.8 lb box rehydrates into 35.2 lb. The feeding instructions for K9 Natural are a little different: for a 40 lb dog you would feed 1-3% of body weight. (I burned up the calculator for this one!) I used 2% as an average and for Zara that would mean feeding 12.8 oz per day. The 8.8 lb box converts into 563.2 oz of rehydrated food. Do the math and you get about 44 days worth of food in that 8.8 lb box. (Have you reached for the oxygen bottle yet?) K9 Natural will run you a very dear $4.52 per day to feed a 40 lb dog. That, my friends, is on the pricey side.
So, do we devote shelf space to K9 Natural? Honestly, I don't know if our market will bite on such an expensive product. It may be the finest product on the market but these are difficult times for many people, even those who still maintain healthy disposable income. Everyone should drop me a comment. Is your best friend worth the K9 Natural price? Is this just a product for smaller dogs where the price per serving is a little easier on the wallet? Does John need to start flying to New Zealand and smuggling in K9? You tell me. In the meantime John has promised us a box on K9 Natural to try. Between the three of us, that $199.00, 8.8 lb box should last....minutes, hours....maybe a week. All I can say is it better be the best thing since sliced bread and I'd better poop perfume after dinner. I'm just saying....
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Wellness...off our shelves they go!
Not long ago Wellness moved it's product into the large chain stores. Personally, we were OK with that. We're more than happy to compete with their prices and we don't think they can match our services. (Insert plug for Zspa here!) Well, then the advertising started. The big retailers are now using Wellness to gain, shall we say, "street cred" with customers who are very involved in what they feed their pets. The idea is, if we sell Wellness everyone will begin to think that everything we sell is high quality. It is called having a "halo" product. Everything begins to look good as a result of having one popular product. We, at Zane + Zara's, are not amused.
As of this date: October 09, 2010, we will no longer reserve space on our shelves for Wellness. This means two things: first, if you are looking for a good price on Wellness we have it. All Wellness products, be they dog or cat, are now on sale for 10% off. This is a sale to clear off our shelves of product. Each Saturday the sale will increase by 5% until everything is gone. Come and get it!!! Second: if you are a current customer and, are loath to switch your dog or cat to a new food, we are more than happy to special order the Wellness product of your choice. All we ask is that you contact us on Monday for a product delivery on Thursday. We never want to be known as a store that forces product changes on our customers. Wellness is a good food and if you want it, we'll get it for you. We just refuse to devote shelf space to a product that is giving assistance to our competition.
Wait! I hear a question. "Just what is going to get the space that Wellness used to occupy? Now that's a good question and boy do we have a good answer. It's called Lotus and it has a great little story. My next blog will cover all things Lotus. We think you'll love this new dog and cat food. We've smelled it and tasted it. It is Zane, Zara and Zelda approved.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Animal testing or You Bastards, you need to be punished!
OK, I don’t know what’s gotten into me but this is my second blog in a week. I think this issue is just on my mind a lot. I want to talk about animal testing. Let’s not be coy here, we’re not talking about the SAT’s for your cat. We’re talking about testing products or substances on helpless animals. This ranks up there with the cosmetic mutilation of my bretherin. You’ll happily wack off our tails or slice off pieces of our ears and now I find out that you’ll put our heads in little stockades so that you can test chemicals in our eyes or on our skin. Live animal testing, have you completely lost your minds?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no tree hugging vegan. I understand the food chain and that bad things happen to good squirrils. What I don’t understand is this wanton disrespect for other animals. There is some nobility in an animal losing its life to feed another. It is a cycle that has been in place since the beginning of time. As a matter of fact this whole vegetarian thing is actually a pretty recent manefestation of human guilt over killing for food. Trust me people, if you still had to hunt to survive you’d never see a vegetarian. But the idea that live animals are being used for research and development in the modern world sickens me.
And, yes, I understand that eventually all things get tested on a live animal. And nobody wants to be the inventor of the next Thalidomide. Personally, I’d happily volunteer to be an advanced kibble tester but just how much redundant knowledge do you people need? If you put Mr. Clean in your eyes it will burn and blind you. Did we really need to strap down little bunnies and actually put Mr. Clean in their eyes to confirm that? Really? You couldn’t just slap a label on the bottle that says, “Product contains: ammonioa and a host of other wicked things. DON’T PUT IT IN YOUR EYES! IT WILL BLIND YOU. That wouldn’t have been enough? Or cigarettes, I love this one. Humans were dropping right and left from lung cancer. There was a huge amount of aticdotal evidence that the lung cancer was being precipitated by years of smoking. Yet, everyone thought it was necessary to force chimpanzies into developing six pack-a-day habits so we could “confirm” a relationship between smoking and lung cancer. Decades of smoking chimps to “confirm” what everyone knew. Smoking will kill you. But, and you have to love this, cigarettes are still legal, Humans really are idiots sometimes. And then there is the whole make-up thing. Let’s test make-up on poor innocent animals. Inject them with dyes, drip foundation (formally lead-based you very smart humans) into their eyes, shove little cotton balls laced with perfume up their asses...(OK, that one is a stretch but, I’m pissed off at the moment.) You do all this so that you can have products who’s only purpose is to increase your fragile self-esteem. I don’t know how the entire planet has not rejected you.
Have you ever sat back and wondered how the whole free-range, organic thing came about? This is all about consumer guilt. You discovered, after a century of hiding your heads in the sand, how chickens and other farm animals were mass produced. And it wasn’t pretty. You discovered after decades of using pesticides and artificial fertilizers that maybe, just maybe growing bigger and bigger fruits and vegetables wasn’t worth the strange new litiney of ailments that were, if I may trade a pun, cropping up in your children. And then you discovered that, by lowering your costs by not cagging your chickens or spraying your vegetables, you could actually charge more for them. Do less, charge more is the American dream. You are sly devils, you humans.
So what needs to be done about this "animal testing" thing? How about STOP IT. I said in the beginning, I'm no tree hugging, panties in a twist, nature worshiping, pagan. I understand that animal testing is a requirement for things that are going to be consumed by animals. The HIV vaccine, when it comes, will have been rigorously tested on many live animals and everyone should understand that this process is necessary. I understand that. What I don't understand is MAKE-UP and CLEANSERS or CIGARETTES. Just how do you justify this sort of criminal abuse? Animals have highly developed nervous systems just like humans. We feel pain. Yet, you find it necessary to inject us with cleansers or dyes or, I don't know, fuel additives just to find out what sort of horrible reaction you can coax out of us. We scream, we writhe in pain and some of us will actually kill ourselves in the attempt to escape. What kind of sociopath does that kind of research? Just who raises a child that makes a career out of this kind of torture? "Hi, my name is Mark and I test cleansers on animals. I become sexually aroused by the screams of bunnies." Do these psychopaths actually date? Talk about a small pool of prospects. I said it, just STOP IT. If you know the stuff should not be consumed, you don't need to test it. Just slap a label on it that says, "DO NOT CONSUME, APPLY OR INJECT. THIS STUFF WILL DO YOU HARM UP TO OR INCLUDING DEATH." This should be a generic label. And if there is evidence that something will kill you, who's only function is to be consumed, take it off the market. CIGARETTES people, take them off the market. They have no redeeming qualities. I don't care what the argument is, just take them off the market. So Philip Morris goes out of business, I don't care. If you smoke, you're an idiot. No more cigarettes then you have to quit. Hump the fact that it is a personal choice and a legal product. It kills tens of thousands of people every year. BAN THEM!!!
OK, that's my tirade for now. Stop this pathetic excuse for research. Ban animal testing under many circumstances. Cosmetics: banned. Known poisons: banned. If it is not designed for consumption: banned. If you folks want to test stupid stuff on animals go find a human being who's willing. Want to find out if a new foundation or rouge causes a rash or blindness, slather it on a human test subject. No body needs to see some poor, whored up bunny going blind from a new mascara. I know I don't.
Zane
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