Local pet groomers offer
holiday animal makeovers
By Gretchen Boehr
Senior Reporter
When decorating for the holi
days people also may groom
Sparky or Fluffy to match the sea
son’s festivities. And pet groomers
in Lincoln say this is their busiest
season.
Dogs can be- colored green or
red, courtesy of colored mousses
which wash out after one bath,
according to Kelli Micek, owner of
Four Paws, 3615 N. 44 St., a Lincoln
grooming shop and pet store.
But pet owners wno don’t wish
to go to extremes can have groom
ers tie fancy holiday bows on the
dogs or polish their nails.
Micek said coloring dogs isn’t
very popular in Nebraska, but the
store mentions the mousse to
people who bring their dogs in for
grooming.
“We just did a dog last week and
it looked gorgeous,” she said.
“It’s perfectly harmless and it
washes out perfectly clean.”
But Terry Tang, groomer and
owner of Lawrence of California,
2230 Washington St., said she
doesn’t dye dogs.
“My customers would have a
heart attack if I did that,” Tang said.
But Micek said Four Paws is of
fering to mousse dogs free for
Christmas this year to interest
people in the service for other
holidays. The mousse comes in
pastel colors for Easter, she said.
Tang said she tries not to use too
much perfume or other “crazy
stuff’ on the dogs because it dries
out their skin.
Poodles are fixed up the fanci
est, Tang said, often with doggy
nail polish to match the bows in
their hair.
At Star Pet Salon, 6215 Havelock
Ave., jingle bells and bows are be
stowed upon many cats and dogs,
but no colored dye, according to
owner Debbie McAllister.
“Colored mousses are for
Don’t forget about your pet
when Christmas shopping
By Gretchen Boehr
Senior Reporter
Christmas gifts for pets range
from doggy sweaters to new aq
uariums, but the hardest part about
shopping for pels probably is
knowing what they want.
Collars, boots, hats, leashes and
catnip are standard gifts for any
cuddly little cat or dog.
But what about the hard-to
shop-for and unconventional pet
on your Christmas list? What could
you possibly buy a gerbil or sala
mander or, heaven forbid, a snake?
Yes, these lesser animals cele
brate Christmas too, even though
they aren’t invited to sit on little
Jimmy’s lap for the annual Christ
mas-card picture in front of the
fireplace.
Exercise wheels and yellow tun
nels highlight many a gerbil’s wish
list. And a habitrail set -- an entire
collection of plastic tubes for the
animal to run and frolick through —
is to the little gerbil what the
Dreamhouse is to Barbie.
Gerbils and hamsters also might
request Shrcd-A-Beds, flannel
blankets which the rodents tear
apart to make cozy little hide
aways. This is good clean fun for
any back-to-nature
gerbil, mouse or hamster.
Leashes and harnesses also
come in sizes suitable for gerbils
and lizards, according to a Janet
Dugan, assistant manager at Pet
Ark, 2541 N. 11th St., Belmont
Plaza.
But how would you walk a
gerbil?
, All a snake or lizard could ever
ask for is a climbing tree or hide
away log to grace his aquarium.
But back to the standard Christ
mas fare for dogs and cats . .._
Everyone knows that cats like
rubber mice and balls of yarn, but
for fun-loving felines and masters,
a Kitty Teaser is made to order.
This gadget is basically a little
toy on a string which is attached to
a pole. When Fluffy is just about
ready to pounce, her master or
mistress can yank the toy away
with cruel amusement.
Kitty Whiz is also a good choice
for the intelligent feline. This gift
welcomes cats to the wonderful
world of toilet training.
Kitty Whiz is a plastic bowl with
kitty litter which covers the toilet.
Dogs might wish for a Booda
Bone, a cloth chew toy that cleans
teeth and freshens breath. Or a
new matching outfit of boots, hat
and knitted sweater could be the
highlight of a poodle’s year.
Now fish are quiet and selfless
and they enjoy things like new
rocks, filters and dead coral. But
why not spring for something a
little more exciting this year with
the purchase of an air-powered
ornament which slowly moves in a
stream of bubbles.
But this gesture of love from
humans to their finned friends can
be deadly as little flipper suddenly
finds himself caught in the plastic
ornament’s evil jaws.
Parakeets are also fairly simple
with their requests. Strips of raw
hide on a chain are the “in” gifts
this year.
Many pet stores also offer doggy
stockings and other packaged gifts
for pets to make shopping lor a pet
easier.
As pets have befriended man for
many years, many masters feel that
Christmas is the season for humans
to demonstrate their appreciation.
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Melissa McRcynolds/Daily Nebraskan
Kelli Micek, owner of Four Paws Dog Grooming, 3615 N. 44th St., designs Santa hats for dogs for the
Christmas season. Coco, owned by Bill and Laverne Cooke, has been groomed at Four Paws for five
people, not dogs,” she said.
Christmas is the busiest time of
year for many groomers because
people want their pets to look es
pecially nice for company or pic
tures.
“Everyone wants their pet to
look pretty for the holidays,” McAl
lister said. “Our business really
picks up this time of year.”
According to Micek, people like
to show off their nicely groomed
pets to company and relatives.
Sherry DeBoer, assistant man
ager at the Pet Ark in East Park
Plaza, said many pet owners want
their animals to look nice for holi
day photographs.
“People especially like their
dogs to look good for their Christ
mas card pictures,” DeBoer said.
She said she uses hand-scis
soring to make dogs look more
fluffy.
Crimping is another hair altering
technique used on dogs with long
hair, according to Micek.
Micek said Four Paws is giving
dogs Christmas packages of a vari
ety of treats in different sizes and
flavors to appease even the most
finicky palates.
The store also is having a draw
ingfor$50 worthof doggy gifts like
shampoo, brushes and sweaters.
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