The Omlet Blog Archives: July 2019

Activities for kids and pets to do together

Girl holding dog's paw, sat in Omlet Fido Studio Dog Crate

We all know that pets are not just animals, they’re members of our family. So for the pet parents who are also human parents, why not foster an even stronger bond between your children and four-legged friends by engaging them in exciting activities that promote laughter, joy, and unforgettable memories? Get ready to unleash the fun with this treasure trove of ideas that will ignite imaginations and provide endless hours of entertainment of engaging activities for your kids and pets to do together.

Bake treats for your pets

Kids love to help in the kitchen! And when they know their culinary efforts will end in a delicious delight for their favourite furry family member, they’ll be sure to raise their helping hands. Just make sure the recipe you choose for your pet is safe for them to eat, and abide by the same rule used with kids – treats are to be enjoyed on a limited basis. 

Have a hamster in the house? Grab some of your pantry staples to make these yummy honey homemade hamster treats. For a tail-wagging breakfast, let your kids break the eggs and blend the bananas to make these dog-friendly pancakes. The best part of this activity is that every member of the family can taste the treats. 

Find new games to play with your cat

When the cat’s away, the mice will play. But when kids and cats are together, play is even better! Most cats love to play games because it mimics their natural instincts to pounce and bat with their paws. So before allowing your child to play closely with any pet, make sure they understand how to handle them safely.

An interactive game of chase with feathers, cat toys, or scarves makes for a fun-filled time for both kids and cats alike. Want to take the fun outside? Let your littles roam free together in a safely enclosed Catio while chasing bubbles all around. And for the senior cats who may find the chase games too much, encourage your child to stretch alongside their favourite feline on a sturdy cat scratching post.

Teach your dog a new trick

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that’s simply just not true. With the right encouragement, some patience, and lots of love, your dog can learn new things at any age in life. And what better way for your kids and canine to spend some quality time together than with a fun new trick?

Summer is a great time to let your kids get involved in teaching Fido how to fetch a stick or even learn a new command like “sit and shake”. Make sure your child keeps plenty of dog treats in their pocket to give as a reward for the newly learned behaviour. And because new tricks require lots of mental stimulation, make sure you have a comfortable and supportive dog bed where your furry friend can rest after all their hard work. By the time summer is over, your kids and dog will impress the whole family with all they have both learned.

Pocket money

Chores are a great way to teach your kids the importance of responsibility, but they’re also a great way to let your child earn some spending cash. And learning the value of work at a young age will always pay off later. So in an effort to get your kids and pets more time together while also completing needed work around the house, why not have them clean out the chicken coop to earn a bit of extra pocket money? 

The Eglu chicken coops are so easy to clean that anyone tall enough to reach in and touch a hen will be able to get it spotless with ease. With a little bit of pet-safe disinfectant and water, your chickens’ home will be sparkly clean and hygienically healthy in no time. Plus, what kid doesn’t like to use a water hose? This simple chore of cleaning and collecting eggs not only allows your child more interaction with the hens, but it makes one less task for you to do. Win-win for everyone!

Girl in Omlet Outdoor Run holding guinea pig

Homemade toys for rabbits

When it comes to fun for rabbits, Omlet has you covered. But if you’re looking for activities for your child and rabbit to enjoy together, look no further than your own garden. One of the best ways to get everyone outside and having fun is to go on a garden scavenger hunt. Have your kids locate a willow tree and collect some twigs to weave into a ball or a wreath. Your rabbits will love playing with their new toys as well as nibbling on the nutritious wood, and your kids will feel accomplished in creating a new rabbit masterpiece.

But the floppy-eared fun doesn’t stop there! If you’ve got an old towel or a ripped pair of jeans you’re getting rid of you can make a rag doll for your rabbits. Have your kids use their creativity to make something beautiful. Even just tying a knot in the middle of a strip of sturdy fabric will provide hours of fun for rabbits to tear apart in their outdoor rabbit run. Just make sure to take it away before they’ve ruined it completely – you don’t want them to ingest too much fabric.

Build an obstacle course for your hamster

Hamsters are the curious and energetic pets of the animal world. So engage both your child’s and hamster’s love of running, jumping, and climbing by helping your kids build an obstacle course for your hamster. Start by finding a safe area in your house where the hamster can be let out, away from open doors and other pets. You might want to build the course inside a playpen or create a barrier using books or other heavy objects. Just make sure they can’t fall over and hurt the hamster.

Have a LEGO-loving kid in your house? Get them to use their brick-building creativity to make the outline of the obstacle course. LEGO pieces will also make great jumps and steps for your hamster to navigate. Use clean popsicle sticks to build a ladder or a ramp for the hamster to climb up on, and build tunnels and hiding places with toilet paper rolls and cardboard boxes. Glue them together to create a hamster maze within the obstacle course and have your kids hide treats to encourage your hamster to explore.

Photoshoot

Capturing the bond between children and their furry companions in photos creates cherished memories that can be treasured for years to come. During a photoshoot, kids and pets can engage in various poses and interactions that showcase their special relationship. This activity not only allows kids and pets to have fun together but also encourages their creativity and self-expression. It’s also a great opportunity to teach children about patience, empathy, and respect for animals. Have fun with different locations and colourful outfits (if your pet obliges!) and make the photos as creative as you want. Here are our best tips for taking better photos of your pets.

Abstract paw art

If you have children, you likely have several crayon drawings hanging on your fridge. Why not add to the gallery with some abstract paw art made by your favourite furry child? Let your dog’s creative juices flow by helping your child work with your pup to create a beautiful piece of art. 

Get some toxic-free, water-based paint and gently put your dog’s paws in it. With the help of some dog treats, guide your dog to a blank canvas and let them walk all over it, creating an abstract paw-print painting. You can even have your kids get in on the fun by adding their handprints as well! Be sure to have water on hand to clean everyone’s paws and best to do this activity outside to avoid the risk of paw prints on carpets and furniture.

Omlet brings kids and pets together

At Omlet, we know the bond between kids and their pets is a truly special one. Engaging in activities together not only strengthens their connection but also offers countless benefits for both of them. With our personal pet experience and ingenious expert designs, we create products for dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and more, that will bring out the best in everyone in the family. So try out one of these shared experiences with your kids and pets and create a lifelong friendship that will leave pawprints on their hearts forever. 

Boy interacting with hamster in Omlet Qute Hamster Cage with his mother

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This entry was posted in Pets on July 26th, 2019 by linnearask


Get a FREE Run Extension for a Limited Time Only!

Start your chicken keeping journey the right way, with extra secure space for your chickens to enjoy at no extra cost to you in our July promotion.

Simply add any Eglu Chicken Coop with Run to your basket, enter discount code EXTRARUN, and the correct run extension for your chosen coop will be added to your order. 

This means if you buy the best-selling Eglu Cube Chicken Coop with 2m run and wheels for £749, you will actually be getting the 3m run setup originally worth £849 – saving you £100! 

Now your chickens can have extra run length to explore, roam around and stretch their legs, without the extra cost to you.

Terms and conditions
The Free Run Extension promotion is valid from 24/07/19 – midnight on 31/07/19 only. You must have an Eglu Chicken Coop with run in your basket. Enter discount code EXTRARUN at checkout, and a 1m run extension for your chosen coop will automatically be added to the basket. This promo code can not be used to discount your basket contents. Offer cannot be used on existing discounts or in conjunction with any other offer. Not redeemable on delivery charges. This offer is subject to availability. Omlet ltd. reserves the right to withdraw the offer at any point.

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This entry was posted in Offers and promotions on July 24th, 2019 by linnearask


How to Keep Rabbits Cool in Summer

Rabbits outside on a summer's day in their Zippi Rabbit Run connected to Zippi Rabbit Tunnel System

Summer is the greatest time of the year, but when the temperature rises it’s important to make sure that your rabbits, and their home, are ready for the warmer weather. Rabbits are generally very hardy animals, but they actually tend to deal better with cold spells than with extreme heat, so here’s how to keep rabbits cool in summer!

How to keep outdoor rabbits cool in summer

It might be tempting to move your outdoor rabbits inside your air-conditioned house to help them stay cool, but sudden changes in temperature can actually be worse for them than staying outside in the heat. It is, however, important to know that rabbits can die from heat stroke, so make sure that you’re doing everything you can to prevent your rabbits from getting ill. 

The easiest thing to do to make sure your rabbits are comfortable is to get them a hutch that stays cool even in the height of summer. The Eglu Go Rabbit Hutch has twin-wall insulation that keeps the heat out, and makes the temperature in the hutch stay relatively stable throughout the day. It also has a draught-free ventilation system that encourages air to flow through the hutch without creating a nasty draft. 

Shade is also very important for keeping your rabbits in summer nice and cool. If possible, place the rabbits’ hutch and play area in a shady part of the garden, ideally under a tree or next to a building that blocks the sun. If different parts of the garden are shaded at different times of the day you might be able to move the play area as the day goes on. This is very easy with Omlet’s Zippi Rabbit Tunnel System. If you don’t have any natural shade you will need to add covers and sun shades to the run to make sure that your rabbits can be outside without having to be in direct sunlight.

How to keep indoor rabbits cool in summer

If your bunnies live indoors on the other hand, then it’s a good idea to create a ‘cool zone’ in your home for them to move to. In this room, you’ll want to turn up the air-conditioning, or use a fan to keep the room at a cool and consistent temperature (please note that if you do use a fan to keep the room cool, you should never directly point it towards a rabbit). The room should be well-ventilated and it’s also a good idea to keep the blinds shut to make sure that their environment is out of direct sunlight. 

What do rabbits eat in summer?

Regardless of whether your rabbits live indoors or outdoors, make sure that they have plenty of fresh water at all times. Consider changing the water several times a day when it’s very hot; rabbits are much more likely to drink more if the water is cool, just as you would. Speaking of water, fill a few plastic bottles and put them in the freezer for a few hours. You can then place them on the run or in the hutch for your rabbits to lean against when they’re feeling warm. Prepare a few bottles so you can swap them around when the first ones have melted. 

Your bunnies will also love to eat cool and refreshing things when the sun is out. Try washing the vegetables you are giving to your rabbits with cold water before you bring them out to the hutch. 

Do rabbits shed in the summer?

During summer, you’ll also find that your fluffy friend will start to shed, especially breeds with longer hair. This is also known as moulting and is nothing to be concerned about. During this stage, a rabbit will lose its thick, winter coat to help them stay cool during the warmer months. You can assist them with a bit of grooming by brushing them more regularly to ensure that they’re not carrying around unnecessary layers. You can read more about general rabbit grooming in our Rabbit Care guide. 

How to take care of rabbits in summer

If you think your pets are looking particularly hot you can mist their ears with cool (but not ice cold) water from a spray bottle. Do however, make sure the water doesn’t get into the ear canal. Another important thing to think about is the rabbits probably won’t appreciate getting handled during the hottest hours of the day, so leave play time to later in the evening. 

Fly strike

It is also very important to know that the risk of fly strike is much higher during the summer months. Fly strike is caused by flies getting attracted to damp fur, urine and faeces and laying their eggs in the rabbit’s bottom. When the maggots are born after a few hours they eat the rabbit’s flesh and release toxins into the body. Fly strike can kill a healthy rabbit who just happens to have loose stools for a day or two, but if you know that your rabbit sometimes struggles to clean itself it is extra important that you check their bottoms daily. If you see any signs of fly strike, contact your vet immediately. The same goes for heat stroke. Don’t panic and dip your rabbit in cold water, instead take your rabbit to a cool room inside to try to lower their body temperature while you phone the vet. 

Girl outside with rabbits using Zippi Rabbit Run Platforms

Omlet rabbit products

Playing with your floppy-eared friends can be made even more exciting by adding fun accessories like the Caddi Rabbit Treat Holder, or by creating even more space in their run. The Zippi Rabbit Run Platforms are a great way to utilize their space by creating a second floor for your rabbits to explore. The Zippi Rabbit Run Platforms are perfect for the warmer weather, as they are insulated to make sure that the floor under your rabbits’ feet remains at an optimum temperature. Furthermore, the shaded area beneath the platforms make for the perfect spot for your rabbits to relax on a summer’s day!

And that’s how to keep rabbits cool in summer! For all of your rabbit’s needs, shop Omlet’s rabbit products. Discover our range of rabbit hutches, rabbit tunnel systems, rabbit platforms and more to ensure your bunnies remain safe and happy all year round! 

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This entry was posted in Rabbits on July 23rd, 2019 by linnearask


How to Protect Your Chickens from Red Mite

Looking inside wooden chicken coop 2

The Red Mite Problem

Red mites, or Dermanyssus gallinae, are without a doubt backyard chicken keepers’ worst enemies! They are nocturnal creatures living in cracks and crevices of the coop, and they only come out at night to feed on chicken blood. Most long term chicken keepers will have encountered these parasites, and can confirm that they are more destructive and difficult to get rid of than all other pests combined. 

Getting Rid of Red Mites

If you have diagnosed a red mite infestation in your wooden coop, there are a few things you can do to try to get rid of them. Start off by giving your coop a really deep clean. Strip the house down as much as possible to get into all corners, nooks and crannies, and scrub with warm water. You will need to replace any felt or fabric parts and carefully clean perches, feeders and drinkers and other loose objects in the coop. Make sure that you get rid of all bedding that might have been infested. 

If you can still see mites crawling out of crevices in the wood when the coop is drying, try hosing the coop and all loose parts down with a pressure washer. Leave to dry for 10-15 minutes and blast it over again to get rid of even more mites. Repeat until there are very few mites emerging after every wash. 

Still not completely clear of mites? Time for the anti-mite products. Mix a mite specific concentrate with water using the manufacturer’s guidelines and apply this to the coop. Go heavy on areas where it is likely that the mites are hiding (corners and end of perches are particularly affected areas), but it is important that you treat the whole coop. When the wood is completely dry, apply plenty of red mite powder on your chickens, their bedding and their dust bath before you let them back into the coop.

Lenham Wooden Chicken Coop versus Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop

In summer you will need to re-apply the powder every few days, and it in many cases getting ahead of the mites will mean deep cleaning the coop with detergents on several occasions over a period of two weeks. When autumn comes the mites become dormant and will not feed on your chickens, but they are unfortunately likely to reappear when the temperature rises again in spring.

Preventing Red Mite Infestations

The smooth plastic surfaces of the Eglu chicken coop leaves very little space for the mites to hide. There are no corners or gaps that you won’t be able to reach with a hose or a pressure washer, which means that one deep clean of the Eglu should get rid of all dust, dirt and possible pests.

Because of how easy it is to take your Eglu apart, cleaning is made super easy compared to cleaning a wooden coop. In fact, we’ve even heard of people burning their wooden coops down as a last resort of getting rid of little creatures! With your Omlet Eglu coop however, you can simply unscrew the side panels and remove them to give your chickens’ home a thorough clean. For a complete clean you may also want to disconnect the run as well. What’s more, in the Eglu Cube chicken coop, the rear door panel easily lifts off to give your full access to the inside, where you’ll find everything you and your chickens need. By cleaning your Eglu on a regular basis you prevent red mites from ever becoming a problem for you and your hens, and you won’t have to spend all that time and money cleaning and disinfecting that you would if you had a more traditional coop.

The Eglu chicken coops have over the last 15 years been the solution for a lot of people who have tired of constantly trying to get rid of red mites from their wooden coops. Here are some of the things current Eglu owners have told us about battling red mites:

“I’ve thought about having an Eglu for two years but this summer’s red mite infestation was too much. I hate using chemicals/insecticides around my hens so I took the plunge and I’m really pleased.”  Sue

“After having some terrible experiences with mites we decided enough is enough and time to buy a “mite free eglu” as advertised. We have been slightly put off by the price previously but now I wish I had one from the start! I couldn’t rate the omlet eglu cube any higher! What used to take 2 hours to clean and scrub a chicken coop now takes 10 minutes! We have not had any lice infestations since having the cube I absolutely love it and so do our chickens, just wish we had bought one sooner!” Amie

“The most important feature to me is the hygienic, easy clean & wash nature of all the surfaces. I would never buy a wooden house again having struggled with mites which hid in all the joints and gaps of the boards. There is nowhere for the mites to hide on the Eglu and cleaning is quick and easy. I’m certain that there isn’t a better house available for healthy hens.” Neil


Does the thought of mites make you itch? Watch our video about two neighbours having very different chicken keeping experiences this summer, showing some of the struggles that chicken owners with mite-infested coops are faced with:

 

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This entry was posted in Chickens on July 19th, 2019 by linnearask


How the Eglu Keeps Chickens Cool

Pink Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop, pink flowers

Wooden Chicken Coops and Insulation

Keeping your pets warm in winter and cool in summer is one of the best ways you can help them stay healthy. But this is often easier said than done. Traditionally chicken coops and rabbit hutches have been made from wood. This has its advantages: it’s an easy material to work with, it’s customisable and it looks attractive. However, when it comes to coping with the weather, it can leave a lot to be desired. Wood is not a very good thermal insulator, meaning if it’s hot outside the temperature will transfer through to the inside quickly. 

Air as a Thermal Insulator 

Perhaps surprisingly, a much better thermal insulator is air.  But how can something so thin that you can’t even see keep our pets comfortably insulated from the elements? It’s precisely because it’s so thin that it’s so effective. Heat is conducted between an area of more heat to an area of less heat by one of three processes: conduction, radiation or convection. In conduction warmer molecules vibrate rapidly and collide with other nearby molecules passing on that energy. If the material that the heat is trying to pass through has few molecules in it then it will be harder for the heat to transfer through it. This is precisely what happens if you have a warm surface separated from another surface by a layer of air.  

The Eglu Cube Chicken Coop has twin walled insulation

Because air is not a good conductor it is commonly used as an insulator in everything from buildings (double glazing, cavity walls) to cooking utensils, drinking flasks and even the high tech chicken coops. 

Eglu chicken coops have a unique twin wall system that takes full advantage of air’s great insulating property to keep your pets comfortable all year round. Within the walls of the Eglu is an air pocket which acts as a barrier, stopping hot and cold temperatures penetrating into the inside of the house, so your chickens can stay warm in winter, and cool in summer. 

The Eglus also feature a draft-free ventilation system designed to increase the air flow throughout the coops, keeping chickens at a comfortable temperature. These air vents are discretely located around the coop, and specifically designed so they do not allow drafts over the nesting box. A well ventilated coop is not only beneficial for keeping chickens cool, but it is also extremely important for preventing your hens from suffering with respiratory issues.

For evidence of the Eglu’s cooling properties, take a look at this video showing how much slower an ice lolly melts when inside the coop…

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This entry was posted in Chickens on July 10th, 2019 by chloewelch


How to Teach Your Dog to Go Through a Door Flap

When we got our Miniature Schnauzer, we had already had a catflap in the garden door for years. We soon realised that our little dog would easily also fit through the cat flap, and this would allow her to go in and out of the garden whenever she liked. We decided to pin it open to see if she would even use it at all, and it turned out to be a hit. It worked perfectly and in the summer it was nice to have a light steady breeze from the door. But we all know, summer must come to an end one day. And it did.

Winter came and with that freezing air blowing through the cat flap every day, all day. Unpinning the door meant having a sad little furry dog staring at it in disbelief “This used to be open all the time! Why is it locked now? And since when can the cat walk through walls?” The surprised look on our dogs face every time the cat appeared and vanished in the door was adorable and yet a little upsetting. How she wished to have the cats ability of passing through closed doors. And I wished that too. The comfort of going in and out whenever she wanted proved to make for a demanding dog, that needed help to open and close the door. Countless times a day.

Something had to change. As she didn’t understand how the door worked, we would have to show her and help her a little. I had used clicker training with other dogs before, and it was not only fun for me but also for the dog. Somehow we had never started training our newcomer with it, but now I dug out the clicker from the ominous corner drawer in the kitchen that hardly ever gets opened these days and made a plan.

Teaching my dog to use the cat flap!

My dog got the concept in a matter of hours and used the door by herself on the next day. Now she is young and very intelligent, but older dogs should also be able to learn this trick in no more than a few days.

Dog Clicker Training for flap doors – let’s get started.

Four essential things you need:

  • A clicker
  • Small dog treats or favourite toys
  • A cat flap
  • A dog (any dog will do…)

Clicker Training

If you’ve never heard about clicker training, then I will try to quickly introduce you to it. In short, clicker training conditions the dog through positive reinforcement to repeat certain behaviours. There is no such thing as active punishment in this training – “punishment” is shown in a passive manner by ignoring the dog. Dogs thrive on attention, they mostly don’t mind if it’s positive or negative attention – they often might not even be able to tell them apart. As long as their favourite humans interacts with them, that’s great news. Nothing is worse for a dog than being ignored. This is very useful when it comes to training.

A click tells the dog “That’s exactly what I wanted you to do!”, then a treat follows. Click means treat – that is very important. Never click without it being followed by a treat – even if you click by accident. Click and treat go hand in hand. For most dogs, food treats work great, it is possible though to offer toys as a reward instead. Depending on the dog or the situation – I don’t take the clicker on walks for example, but I use the same method of “Do well and something good happens” to train my dog to, for example, stay sitting while I walk away. If she waits for my release command and comes running, we play with her toy. If she runs towards me without the command, we don’t play. That way she realises that, even though staying put might not be the most fun thing to do right now, but when that’s done, there are better things to come!

Step one

But let’s go back to the cat flap. If your dog already works with clickers, then great, skip this paragraph and read the next. For everyone who has never used a clicker with their dog, you will want to get your dog accustomed to the clicker, what it does, how it works and how he/she can actually “make it click” to get to that tasty treat.

I admit, I am very impatient and extremely lucky with my dog. I have done all this in fast forward mode, but generally it is best to take some time and be patient… Start with teaching your dog what the noise means. With your dog in the same room, click the Clicker. Your dog will most likely look up at the noise, but even if he doesn’t, make sure to click and immediately offer him a tasty, small treat.

Click again, give the treat.

Click again, give the treat. Repeat.

Click again – does your dog already look a little excited about the noise? Good, he is starting to realise that a treat follows the click every time he hears it.

This stage shouldn’t take long at all, and it’s soon time for the next step.

Step two

I thought about what skills the dog would need to open the door. To go through the door she would have to push it with her nose. So my next goal was to get her to touch the cat flap with her nose. The direct approach didn’t seem to be very successful, so I got a colourful Post-It note out of the cupboard. Maybe this isn’t necessary if you manage to make your dog touch the door with its nose. However, I wiggled the bright pink piece of paper in front of her nose and the first thing she does is give it a quick sniff. As soon as her nose touches the paper – CLICK! and treat.

Move a few steps away and show the paper, have the dog follow you, trying to touch the paper with its nose.

When the dog touches the paper reliably, you can now introduce a command such as “Touch” every time the dog does the action. Your dog will soon connect the motion of touching the paper with the word.

Keep this up until she touches the paper with her nose every time she sees the paper. Once this works well, phase three can begin – stick the Post-It on the flap door.

Step three

With the Post-It on the flap and the dog knowing the “touch” command, the next step was quite easy.

Ask your dog to touch the paper. Click when they do. Your dog might not push the door yet, so start to encourage him to touch it harder. Stop clicking if the nose only just touches it, instead click only when the dog put enough pressure on the door and the door slightly wiggles.

Does the door wiggle a little every time now? Great, then take away the click again until your dog starts to push the door harder.

This is a gradual process and encourages the dog to think about what you want it to do. When he figures it out himself, he learns a lot faster. Teach him gradually to not just make the door wiggle but to push so hard, that he has to stick his head through – at this point he will usually have realised that he can walk through as the door actually reveals what’s behind, and eventually you will be able to gradually change the slight door touching to actually walking through. Like magic!

Done!

My dog was finally able to make her way in and out of the house whenever she wanted – and we could finally take off the second layer of socks.

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This entry was posted in Dogs on July 3rd, 2019 by linnearask