Yesterday I stopped by the space to pick up a key to the front door! We have the key but the space has not been delivered yet. Still waiting for the pipe to be placed and concrete to be poured, and the HVAC and electrical panel to be put in. Oh yeah, and the back door to the space to be installed. So really, no progress since the last update except the key. The good news is that with the key in our hands we have access to the space and since the space isn't officially delivered yet...the rent countdown has not begun! It's a pretty good deal but we are running into some snags.

Hole for the scale and the bathroom pipe

This morning Michael and I went to the space and opened up the front door...ahhh what a sweet sound to hear that key turn and watch the door open! Michael was meeting the floor crew there to start work on the floors.  They were grinding the concrete that they could - had to work around the dirt pile where the pipe isn't in yet and they started cleaning the back space to prepare to epoxy the floor back there. Ok so here is one of those unexpected hang ups - they need to warm up the space in order for the sealant on the concrete and the epoxy to work! Who would have thought? And we can't heat the space without the HVAC and electricity - darn! We were starting to make progress! So we got one small work around and put a space heater in the back space so they can do the epoxy tomorrow but the rest of the grinding and sealing is on hold until the space delivery. Such is the story of the buildout. An April Fool's opening date is more and more appropriate. The good news is that the back area floors will be done by next week which is when we get our cabinetry delivered! So at least we'll have somewhere to store the stuff while the rest of the work gets done. 

My parents' dog Topper enjoying his Planet Dog "tennis" ball

My last post on tennis balls seemed helpful to people but a little dogcentric. What about kitties and dental health? Believe it or not there is a "chew toy" out there for cats - it's a small toy with cat nip stalks on the inside and it's called the Petstages Catnip Chew Ring. I've seen them online but never in action. If you have a cat that loves catnip it could be an option. There are also the famous Feline Greenies - a dental treat that most cats are crazy for. They come in a variety of flavors and reduce tartar and plaque buildup. The only trick is your cat must CHEW them - many cats get so excited they just swallow them which kind of defeats their purpose. The last great dental chew treat I've been suggesting is actually a dog chew but you can cut it down to cat size. The chicken jerky (made out of just chicken) and salmon skin rolls can be cut into cat size strips for your cat to chew on like a raw hide. The chewing action helps to "brush" the teeth. We have to get pretty innovative to find things to help cats - they are each individuals with their own tastes and preferences!

FORLs - notice the left most tooth - the left root and part of the right root is destroyed! The right most tooth only has part of the crown remaining.

The other thing that you should know about cats and their teeth is that they are prone to these awful cavities called Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions or FORLs. They are incredibly painful and ultimately destroy the teeth. They are aggressive lesions that can't be filled like human, or even dog, cavities. We don't know why they happen but if your cat has one, they are painful. The crazy thing about cats though, is that they won't tell you that they're hurting. They will continue to eat and act normal even with the pain. Since cats are prey as well as predators they have developed a very good masking ability and act as though everything is ok. Or sometimes I think cats are just so dignified and so much braver than dogs and humans that they figure that's just life and they live with it. Either way, it's important to have your cat's teeth examined yearly and evaluated to see if they need a comprehensive exam and treatment under anesthesia. 

Please post if you guys have any other great ideas on how to keep your cat's teeth clean and healthy. I'll continue to post about pet's teeth for Dental Health Month. Any questions, feel free to ask! And comments are always welcome!