Following the latest trends and products for dogs, cats, and other pets
Our cats are good at knocking books of shelves, so maybe these bookends would be helpful.
The brass and wood “Curious Cat” bookends would be a fun addition to a pet lover’s home. And they might just be heavy enough to deter your real cats from roaming the shelves and knocking your favorite novels onto the floor (probably not, but we can hope).
The bookends weigh 6 pounds and stand 8 inches high.
The pair is $84 at Iron Accents
I just stumbled upon the Canine Heritage Breed Test and after chuckling, I actually started wondering if I should get it for my parents for Christmas. They’ve got a… well, it’s a dog. It’s a very unique looking dog. We think there’s some german shepard, some terrier (she’s big, but she’s got a beard), some rottweiler, and then we don’t know what the dad is (wolfhound is suggested a lot).
Well, it looks like my parents could use this DNA test to find out who their dog’s daddy is (and maybe get some confirmation on the other breeds that are supposed to be in the mix too).
The test costs $100, but all you have to do is swab your dog’s cheek, stick the thing in a tube, and mail it to the lab (postage included). The results can apparently identify over 100 breeds (the most common).
A pretty expensive gift, but at least my folks would be able to give a definite answer to all those people at the dog park who ask what kind of pooch they have!
Available through Pet Gadgets
Those “Beware of Dog” signs you see in some yards always seem so unfriendly. It’s good to warn the mailman and visitors that you have a couple of dobermans roaming the premises, but do you really want to appear as the standoffish neighbor on the block? This warning sign has a message that’s a bit more fun (but still gets the point across):
“Ring bell and run… our dog needs exercise.”
Made by a seller on Etsy, the signs are custom crafted, so you can get whatever message you want. “This one of a kind cute beware of dog signs Is a more decorative way to warn strangers of your security system. I will make to order allow one week.”
I like that one though, and at $25 it’s not a costly house accessory.
By artist jackiecousens
This particular product is for pet lovers (dog lovers specifically) rather than the pets themselves (unless your pup has her ears pierced):
Sit-Stay earrings.
They’re handmade by a crafter on Etsy and would make a fun gift for an earring-wearing dog person.
“Each sterling silver dog was hand sawn, polished and soldered on to hand made sterling silver hoops.”
There are all sorts of pet carriers you can get if you like to take your small dog, cat, ferret, etc. with you when you travel (or just stroll to the shops), but most of them have a handle, so you end up toting Fido or Fifi around like a piece of luggage. Even a ten-pound animal can be tiring to carry that way after a while, so how about replacing your pet carrier with a pet sling?
The Sling-Go Pet Sling, perhaps?
“Over-the-shoulder hammock style carrier slips on as easily as a handbag. Elasticized opening cinches your pet in close, for the important contact he needs. Leaves your hands free for doing other things. Tough 600-denier nylon with padded bottom, zippered pocket, adjustable shoulder strap, and collar clip.”
The pet sling can be used with pets up to 20 pounds and is available in red, blue, black, and green for $30 from Doctors Foster & Smith.
This isn’t the kind of item your cats are likely to benefit from (unless they’re intrigued by the colorful sun rays that dance on the floor when the sun shines through this), but it could be a fun gift for a pet lover. The stained glass sun catcher is hand made by a glass worker on Etsy.
“The kitty’s face is made with white opal glass along with dark grey transluscent glass and grey whispy glass for the ears. The nose is a pale purple amber mix and the eyes are green glass nuggets (globs) with handpainted pupils.”
$20 from LivingGlassArt
Looking for a way to let the world know you are a dog person? Well, this doorbell ringer would at least let everyone who walks up to your front door know.
The work of Michael Healy, the doorbell ringer is one of several different styles he has in his collection, but if you’re a pet lover, the pet ones are the only ones that matters. Why settle for having guests push a plain old button when they could be buzzing you by pressing a dog paw? Or, as is shown here, a cute dog face?
Installation instructions and a catalog of available doorbells are on the artist’s website.
Here’s a toy for the humans instead of for the dogs: Dog-opoly.
It’s a spinoff of the Monopoly game you grew up with, only it’s designed for the pet lover.
“It has all the fun of a traditional real estate trading game with some dog-eat-dog twists. Here’s how to play: Buy your favorite dogs, then collect Dog Houses and trade them in for Big Bones. The back of each Dog Deed is filled with facts about the dog. Sounds easy, but along the way you may land on KENNEL…you’re sent to the kennel and you’re out of the game for three turns.”
$25 from the Spoon Sisters