More Amazing Products for Pets

I've been spending far too much blog space worrying and writing about stray cats. It's time for some fun, so I thought I'd feature a few of the latest sometimes cool, sometimes useless products for pets:

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I think this is one of those items that seemed like a good idea at the time.

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(via Snowflake)

The Crazy Cat Lady costume -- just in time for Halloween.

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(via Maya-Gabrielle)

Some pets are notorious for gulping down their food only to barf it up a few minutes later. These three posts encourage your pet to dine at a more leisurely pace. Might also frustrate the hell out of them. Note to self: find out if this product is available for humans.

The "click on the bowl to see how it works" doesn't work for me.

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(via Aswan)

This outdoor enclosure is supposed to keep your cat safe from predators and getting lost or run over. But all I can think of when I look at it is:

1) The potential for it to roll down the driveway or lawn, and into the path of an oncoming car.

2) How a large dog might view this as a gigantic toy -- with a live kitty inside! Kind of like a Cracker Jack box for canines.

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Free dog toys at i-pets.com

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SPECIAL

FREE TOY with purchase

Order $40.00 or more at i-pets.com and they'll throw in a toy valued at $2.00 or greater.

Potty Monkey

The toilet training monkey

Potty Monkey is an adorable, 15" stuffed monkey in a diaper and underwear. But inside this cuddly exterior, lurks sophisticated technology designed to teach children how to use the toilet.

Every 30 minutes (or 90 minutes, if you choose), the Monkey will say, "I need to go potty. Let's go potty." When you do the right thing and place him on his plastic toilet, the Monkey will say all sorts of things. For instance, he might say, "I feel proud of myself when I pee-pee and poo-poo on the potty." Or, "I really like to let the pee-pee out of my tummy. It feels so much better now."

$29.99 at Stupid.com

(via Presurfer)

Vomiting slime-dog toy

In honor of the 30th anniversary of slime, Bandai subsidiary Mega House has announced the August arrival of the “Biri Biri Kaze Hiki Wanko,” which roughly translates to “shocking sick puppy.”


As reported by Scout Japan, this children’s game functions somewhat like Milton Bradley’s Operation, though with a much higher ick factor: the toy puppy, who has caught a cold, drools a concoction of slime and plastic germs. Players must extract these germs using the tweezers without letting the metal part touch the slime, an act which produces a buzzing shock. The player who collects the most germs wins.

(via Boing Boing)

Need a dog to walk?

One of the benefits of owning a dog is getting exercise while talking it for a walk. But what if you don't want all the responsibilities of owning a real dog?

Just get yourself a walking dog balloon! They come in three heart warming varieties – a pretty pug, a darling dachshund and a remarkable retriever.

They have been balanced perfectly so that when filled with helium they float just above the ground with their little feet dangling to the floor. When you gently walk with them, pulling the lead, their little legs and feet appear to walk giving a super fun, realistic K9 look.

Guaranteed to convince everyone you meet that you are totally crazy.

(via nerd approved)

3D Anatomic Puzzle Animals

Put your traditional puzzles out to pasture and take a chance on these amazing 3-D anatomical animal puzzles. Challenging, educational and entertaining, these highly detailed puzzles come with organs, bones and muscles so you can build your animal from the inside out. Available in horse (26 pieces), cow (29 pieces) or pig (19 pieces).
$28.00 - $40.00 at unCommon goods

via Random Good Stuff

LEGO birdhouse

My sons loved LEGO blocks while they were younger. We had LEGO creations all over the house. And we also had loose blocks all over the house. Very sharp when you stepped on them barefoot, uncomfortable when you sat on them on the couch. One time, when we had a blocked toilet, guess what we found? LEGO blocks!

Hopefully, Dave doesn't have pieces all over his house to step on. I'm sure he doesn't, he's way too creative for that. Dave e-mailed me to show me his LEGO cat birdhouse creation:

Dave's kitty, Simon, approves of the birdhouse.

Although Dave designed his birdhouse to be a functional birdhouse, he never intended to put it outside and let the elements destroy good LEGO bricks. This made him a little sad because the birdhouse would never really have any birds as visitors.

So Dave built a LEGO bird for the LEGO birdhouse!

Very creative, Dave!

Pet Consumerism

I can never get enough of the weird and wonderful products available for pets:

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I wonder if this dog house comes fully landscaped?

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This is a great idea! I live two houses down from a walkway, and my next-door-neighbour's dog goes nuts every time someone walks along it. Although I'm not sure if being able to see what's on the other side would stop the dog from barking.

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Actually, this cat bed would make a great salad bowl.

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I don't know -- yes, many dogs are overweight, but shouldn't they be outside in the fresh air and open spaces?

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I know what my cat would be saying if I bought one of these Meowlingual Cat Translators: "You're an idiot."

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On Friday, I'm off to Vegas for four days with five of my girlfriends to celebrate our [gulp] 50th birthdays (that's a lot of numbers for one sentence). I've been friends with these women for 30 or more years. Despite knowing everything there is to know about me, they still love me. Go figure.

The perfect pet?

Mary Holstad creates realistic dogs and cats out of mohair.

Each creation is made with thick lush premium imported faux fur that is so soft to the touch. They have hand-embroidered lacquered noses, and premium hand-painted dark brown glass eyes. The face and feet are meticulously hand-trimmed, have hand-embroidered claws and hand-apliqued felt toes and pads. They are fully 5 way jointed, have sturdy armatures for posing and are stuffed with polyfill and plastic pellets for a nice weight.

via: neatorama

Update

Last month, in Entertaining your cat, I wrote about the toy I'd purchased but my cat had ignored. Just wanted to let you know that I took it up to the OSPCA (where they seem to have an overabundance of full-grown cats), and put it into a large room with six cats.

They loved it! They played with the thingamabobs and actually went inside the green 'house'. Although the Society provides lots of toys for the cats, I think I'll buy a few of the Birds of a Tethers that Meeko loves, and take them over to the shelter.

Entertaining Your Cat

Some of the toys I've purchased for my cat have been a success. Others, like the one pictured below, have been a wash-out.

My cat, Meeko, will jump into into any undefended plastic or paper bag, but she won't venture into this--even when I toss in cat nip or treats. I've pretty much done everything but crawl inside the darn thing myself. But there is one form of entertainment that never fails to draw her in.

Chipmunks and squirrels.

Of course, I have to litter the outside sill with sunflower seeds. It's a small price to pay to keep the cat amused. Here she is, this past summer:


She thinks she's being sneaky, hoping to catch the chipmunk unaware while staying hidden below the window.

But sometimes, the temptation is too great and she throws caution to the wind.


These days, she waits eagerly by the window for the return of the warm weather and live entertainment.

All I Want For Christmas: Part II

We can't forget about the cats on our Christmas lists, can we? True, my cat would be more than happy to find a piece of string in her stocking--as long as it came with a promise from me to wave and pull the string for hours on end. Surely, there must be other items out there we can spend our money on to indulge our feline friends:

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I've seen these crackling cloth sacks in the store, and wondered if they'd amuse my cat. Would love to know if anyone has purchased one, and whether or not your cat played with the sack.

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I admit, my cat wouldn't be too excited to find this under the tree, but it works for me. It's amazing how everyone else in my family tip-toes around the vomit until I come home, then they point it out to me upon my arrival. This sign would save them the trouble.

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In the comments of my Winterizing Your Pet post, Raggedy Angst asked how to keep an stray cat warm during the cold months. Here's the perfect gift for the cat who won't come in--if you want to spend about $155.00.

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If you live in an apartment, hiding the kitty litter box can be a real problem. I think this litter box in a planter is a great idea. Now, all you have to worry about is where to hide the planter.

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We all get gifts that make us wonder, "What the hell were they thinking?" But I figure this little item would make a great toy for your cat to bat around the house.

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Merry Christmas to all the critters in (and outside of) your home.

All I Want For Christmas: Part I

I've covered useless dog products, so seeing as it's Christmas, I thought I'd check up on the cute, not so useless products out there.

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At first glance, I thought this was rather gruesome, but it's actually a fetch toy. It's for people who like to laugh at their dog, I suppose.

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The other day, I drove by a woman walking her dog in the freezing rain, and I wondered if the dog was cold, and how long it took to dry off once they arrived home. Suddenly, I realized that I was wrong about dogs and clothing, and how they should never come together. Raincoats for dogs makes perfect sense.

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I like these--environmentally friendly poop and scoop bags, and cat pan liners.

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This toy sucks up the slobber, and since I'm now a cat owner and no longer used to drool, this is the perfect hostess gift to bring along when I visit a friend with a playful, drooling dog.

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And because there are so many useless products for pets, I had to include at least one:

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Dapper Dogs

There is something seriously wrong with this picture. Yes, the brown dress is perfect for the dog's "complexion", and the fit is enviable. But it's a freaking dress! Dogs should not wear dresses or pants or hats or whatever. It's demeaning, and probably pretty darn hot--after all, most of them do come with their own fur coats.

What is it with people who humanize their pets? I've a theory: Our pets tolerate us. They'd have a far better time running with a pack of their canine friends, or hanging out at night with their feline mates. Sure, life might be tougher without their personal chefs, but pets would be perfectly happy to do without. Animals are intuitive--they realize how much we depend on them, so they stick with us out of pity. Now, don't say I didn't warn you--you're pushing their patience to the limit if you put clothes on them.

There's big business in pet accessories, clothes and specialty foods. Here are more useless items:



Actual dog treats. Let's face it, dogs will eat poop if given the chance--they don't care what their treats look like.



The Doggone Thong. A gas-neutralizing pad for, you know, your dog's flatulence proplems. I can't believe this product is for real, but if it is, you'll be happy to know that the thong is washable and reusable.

Next on my hit list--useless cat products.

Best Cat Toy Ever

My cat, Meeko, has a basket full of toys--feathers, balls, and cat-nip filled goodies, but this "Birds of a Tether" from Hartz is her all-time favourite. She'll be walking through the room, spot the feathers dangling above the ball, then go into attack mode. The weighted ball stops the toy from falling over. Hours of fun. Okay, minutes.

Build Your Own Cat Toy -- No Skills Required!

Ever wanted to build a toy for your cat but find you have no tools and no talent? With my New Improved Patented Cat Toy Design you too can build a toy for your cats despite your utter lack of skills and limited resources.

Build your own Wanky

Wanky the Safety Cat
Signal cars behind you!
Winky's eyes light up when brakes are applied, flash on and off when turning signals are used.