#BlogPaws 10th Anniversary conference with @Chewy #ad

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the BlogPaws conference this year. It was held in Kansas City, which isn't too hard to get to from New England, so I purchased a ticket at the early bird rate last year and spent the entire year anticipating the conference. Then, in the final months, I received a sponsorship to attend the conference

I am a BlogPaws Conference Sponsored Blogger on behalf of Chewy.com®. I am being compensated to help share information about the BlogPaws 10th Anniversary Conference and Chewy.com with my readers and fellow Influencers, Neither Chewy.com or BlogPaws are responsible for the content of this article.

I was excited when I was chosen by Chewy to blog and share social media posts about the conference. Making a point to search out fun and interesting things to share with my followers definitely enhanced my conference experience. The fact that most of the sponsors in the exhibit hall were "bipetual" this year made it easy for me to find wonderfully interesting products to talk about on the blog in the upcoming months.

I am super excited about Lenny Pads reusable potty pads

Pet Fusion has some really interesting products coming out

These Dharma Dog Karma Cat® cat beds are super cute

You can see in the background of that last photo the "living room" they set up in the exhibit hall. They had several areas for bloggers to congregate and mingle with their friends and other bloggers. They were called experiential areas and they had a "patio", an "office", and even a "kitchen" where they were dishing up dog food for the dog bloggers.

Learning sessions are the heart of the conference, and I attended a few of them. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get as much out of the sessions as I would have liked, but I know others who enjoyed the ones they attended. Sessions ranged from Facebook Ad Essentials to How to Start a Podcast. If you would like to see some of the past sessions, the BlogPaws YouTube channel has a few of them from 2013. You can even watch a segment from PetWorldInsider about the 2017 BlogPaws conference in Myrtle Beach

But do you want to know what I think is the best thing about going to BlogPaws? It is meeting up with like-minded individuals who spend their days thinking about their pets, photographing their animals, who go out of their way to learn more about their pets so they can share what they have learned with the world. I'm sure most people have other cat owners that are local to them, but very few people have another cat (or dog, or ferret) blogger in their own backyard. I was able to connect with old friends like Julie and Cupcake (above) from Cats Going Places and I was able to meet new cat bloggers like Tuxedo Trio. Hanging out with people who are passionate about the same things you are is priceless. Not only do you *not* feel like the crazy one, you just have to listen to learn from these amazing women and men and it only helps hone your craft.

Chewy has acquired the BlogPaws community and will be in charge of the 2019 conference. This is not really a surprise since both BlogPaws and Chewy had been brought under the PetSmart brand. While no announcement has been made as of yet for specific dates and location, they have said the conference will be in Florida. If you are considering going to a blogging conference and you want to learn more about blogging about pets, want to connect with brands and other bloggers and be part of the pet influencers network I recommend you attend the 11th annual BlogPaws conference.

In all honesty, going for the swag alone is reason enough to go..

Travelin Jack shows off the swag that was just in the cat swag bag

Because this was just the beginning. You should see all of the stuff I got when talking to the brands about their products. You really do need to bring an extra suitcase to get it all home.

A big *Thank You!* to Chewy for sponsoring me to go to BlogPaws and I look forward to what you have in store for the pet blogging community in 2018 and beyond. You should totally check out their social media platforms and follow along because they share some really cute cats and dogs there. (that and the more you check them out, the better I look)

*Chewy on Twitter *Chewy on Facebook *Chewy on Instagram *Chewy on YouTube

*BlogPaws on Instagram *BlogPaws on Facebook *BlogPaws on Twitter

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chewy. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

#CatDentalHealth with @PetSmart and Authority Dental Cat Treats #Ad #Sponsored

This post is sponsored by PetSmart, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. 
I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Dental Health Month, but Tails from the Foster Kittens only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. PetSmart is not responsible for the content of this article.

National Pet Dental Health Month was founded in 1994 as a way to highlight the need for caring for our pet's teeth. This year ®PetSmart wanted to team up with bloggers to highlight this need and provide options.

There are a wide variety of ways to help a cats keep their teeth clean. Some say chewing on raw meat and bones will keep them clean, some say using a pet tooth brush and pet toothpaste, but these are generally options people are unwilling or unable to do for their pets. Enter the dental treats! We were asked to promote the Authority brand dental treats. They come in several flavors: Chicken, Duck, Tuna and Salmon. We chose chicken.

I know we would all like to do what we can to help ensure our cat's long lasting good health. Taking care of one's teeth can help more than the pet's mouth and the smell of their breath. Plaque can build up and cause a great deal of inflammation and even infection which can have long term health consequences if left unchecked such as microscopic changes in the heart, liver, kidneys*. Brushing your cat's teeth daily is ideal, but do not let perfect become the enemy of good. Most cat owners want their cats to be happy, and brushing rarely brings out the happy purr in our kitty..

Okay Muffin, which option do you like best?

Really Mom? is that even a question?

Can I haz the treats??

Can you 'brush' our teeth too?

Dental treats claim that they promote chewing action that helps reduce plaque and tartar. They are made in unique or larger shapes that encourage chewing. If the cats chew the treats (sadly most of my cats ate them whole) the fibers in the treat are aligned to scrape the tartar off the teeth. A lot of people still think that feeding regular kibble will help keep a cat's mouth healthy, but that is actually been proven as untrue and many cats who eat regular kibble need cleanings just as often as those who eat other types of food - with the exception maybe of food formulated specifically for dental health.

So if your kitty has breath that could peel paint off the wall, consider scheduling a visit with a vet to discuss your options. It is never too late to start doing something in regards to your pet's dental health, and while we would all love to be able to brush their teeth daily, do not let the fact that you can't do that stop you from doing something.