The Kit and Cavoodle Pet Center

Hello, everyone!

March has proven to be a wonderful month so far–with new customers and social media followers alike. With so many newcomers, I thought now would be a good time to reintroduce myself and share some history of how The Kit and Cavoodle came to be.

In 2018, my partner, Philip, and I moved in together and were able to get our first pet. I was working at Pet Valu at the time and had put in a few applications for puppies I had my heart set on. One Sunday afternoon–when Philip was out of town for work–a woman walked in with what looked like a tan English Bulldog on a hot-pink harness. I approached my new customer and asked about the dog who, upon further inspection, was an extremely overweight Puggle named Lady Gaga. The woman told me that this dog had just lost her owner to Alzheimer’s and that they were there for a bath so she could get ready for adoption. As I helped them get situated in the dog wash, I couldn’t help but think about the sadness and confusion in this dog’s eyes. In that short time, I felt a connection and knew I had to have her. I sent a picture to Philip and put in an application. The next day, I brought her home and changed her name to Daisy Mae. 

Daisy Mae, in February 2018: two months after we brought her home, at 53 pounds.

That first week with Daisy was sleepless and stressful. Her weight was such a problem that she couldn’t sleep properly–she’d wake in the middle of the night gasping for air or I’d wake in the middle of the night to make sure she was still breathing. Walking was difficult because, at 53 pounds, her joints could hardly keep her standing for more than a minute or two. Due to her medical situation, Daisy’s previous owner had not been able to feed her properly–simply leaving a food bowl full at all times and rarely (if ever) taking her out for a walk. We knew we had to help her lose the weight if she was going to have a chance at any sort of quality of life. 

We survived the first week and it soon became clear that there was more going on with Daisy Mae than just obesity. We had been feeding her a high-quality diet with no fillers for four months and, given the amount she was eating and exercising, she should have been losing weight. But she didn’t. I was noticing some other issues–skin problems, hair loss, general lethargy–that made me wonder if it was all connected. We found a vet we trusted and had her thyroid checked. Sure enough, Daisy Mae’s thyroid was completely inactive. 

We got her started immediately on the appropriate medication and continued feeding her food that was easy for her to process, and she started losing weight! It became clear to me that we were doing the right thing for Daisy Mae when, after months of complacency, she jogged into our living room, grabbed a toy, and started swinging it around in the air. Shortly after that, she jumped onto our couch–something that surprised even her when she did it. With the perfect combination of good veterinary care and a high-quality diet (and treats!) we watched Daisy Mae learn how to be a dog again. 

Daisy Mae in April 2019, at 30 pounds.

Unfortunately, Daisy’s thyroid problem wasn’t entirely fixed. The spring after we brought her home, Daisy began to have some other strange symptoms and we discovered that her parathyroid (the small gland behind her inactive thyroid) had developed a tumor–likely before she ever went up for adoption. By the time we discovered it, it had metastasized and reached her lungs. All we could do was keep her comfortable and let her know she was loved. Daisy Mae passed away in our home 18 months after we brought her into it. 

I had been in the pet industry for five years at that point and had focused my career on educating my customers about proper nutrition for their pets–whether they had a dog, a cat, a bearded dragon, or a guinea pig. After we lost Daisy, it became even more important for me to make sure that my customers knew what they were feeding their pets. 

When we got our Kit (our black cat, Freya) and our Cavoodle (our Cavalier/Poodle, Baxter), I kept those values for them. When I had the idea for The Kit and Cavoodle Pet Center, I knew I wanted to build it upon those values. So, I did. Here, at the Kit and Cavoodle Pet Center, we are aiming to educate pet parents about the most positive ways to improve and maintain your pets’ health and well-being. Whether it’s through feeding the appropriate food or simply finding a toy that will last more than ten minutes, we’ve created an environment for every pet owner to find exactly what you need. I wouldn’t settle for less for my pets and neither should you.