Pet Tales:Products to help you and your pets in winter
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When the winter weather is frightful, some dogs are reluctant to go out into the cold, while outdoor critters try mightily to get into our warm houses.
I'm talking about rodents that gain entry to homes through tiny cracks and openings. Before we hear the patter of little mice feet, we could try a product called Mouse Magic.
For dogs, there are two products that will keep them more comfortable when they venture outside onto sidewalks and surfaces covered with snow and ice. More on Musher's Secret and Safe Paw ice melter later in this column.
Mouse Magic is advertised as an "all natural mouse repellent" that is safe to use around pets and children.
This may seem like an odd product to push in a pet column. But many animal lovers, myself included, are reluctant to kill mice with poison or traditional traps that break their necks.
Glue traps are worse. You're likely to find a live mouse struggling in glue that will kill in a slow and agonizing way.
I've heard from kindhearted people who used humane box traps in the house. When they took the traps outside and set the mice free, the rodents ran back into the house.
I've heard about Mouse Magic from a variety of sources. I called my neighborhood hardware store to see if the glowing reports are true.
"We can't keep it on the shelves," said Dennis Gasper of Rollier's in Mt. Lebanon. "We're getting great feedback" and not one customer has complained that it doesn't work.
Ingredients include 2 percent peppermint oil and 2 percent spearmint oil.
Though it sounds too good to be true, I'd say it's worth a try. The price is $8.99 for four packs that will repel mice for about a month, according to Bonide, the manufacturer.
Musher's Secret is an "invisible boot" made from natural wax, according to www.musherssecret.net. It creates a "breathable bond that protects paw pads from snow, salt and chemicals."
First Published November 12, 2011 12:00 am
