I am always talking about getting organized in your home but have never talked about how to be organized as a pet owner.  I think now is a good time.

Ninety-nine percent of my clients own pets - dogs, cats, birds, fish and once, a pot belly pig! 

The items in your home relating to your pet need to be organized.  You can use baskets, hooks, drawers or any other centralized location to hold the items that need easy accessibility.  

You might already know that I am an independent consultant for Clever Container and they have three solutions designed to help organize you and your pup.  You can check them out on Page 23 of their 2012 catalog at www.clevercontainer.com. 

Another area of organization you should consider is pet information in case of emergency.  Have you ever lost your cat or dog?  It can be heart wrenching but if you are organized, it can make it a lot easier.  Here are some tips:

• Have your pet microchipped and have on file the name of the company, the microchip number and contact information for the company involved.  It's like GPS for your pet. 
• Know the number of your pet's rabies tag.
• Have updated documentation of your pet's vaccinations and surgeries.  (I always incorporate a folder in the filing systems I create for my clients for the pets.)  Shelters and vets that take in lost pets will a conduct blood test to identify strays from non-strays.  Knowing which vaccines are in your pet's blood and locations of scars can help in identifying your pet.  
• Take pictures of your pet at many different angles and of all unique pattern markings.  Have these images in digital format.  Many states and shelters will post pictures of lost pets online and you will want the pictures to print out fliers.
• Most agencies will only allow you to report a lost pet that has been missing for more than 24 hours.  Find out which agencies will take these notices (usually shelters and animal control centers) and have their contact information available.
• You still need to have a collar on your pet with identification, even if your pet lives primarily indoors.  Break away collars are best so that your pet doesn't accidentially choke himself/herself.

I hope you never lose one of your pets, but if you do, you will be prepared by having the above information at your finger tips. 

Give your pets a big hug (except if they are a fish, I guess) and have a great week!