My friend Dorothy is a one-of-a-kind pet owner. All of my friends love and spoil their pets, but I’ve never met anyone like Dorothy. Of course, she treats her pets the way Kanye treats Kanye, but she also raises them the way one would raise their children. She considers their mental development, physical needs, and emotional health. She talks to them the way she talks to people and they respond to her requests with a surprising level of understanding. I don’t know anyone that has done more research or testing of pet products than she has, so I knew I had to ask her to share her favorites with you. – Jenny
Hi! I’m Dorothy, and I’m a proud dog mama of an American Bulldog, and a proud cat mama of a Balinese mix. As their parent/owner/guardian (take your pick) I take great responsibility in not only ensuring they have their basic needs met, but also enrichment. Yes, I am a big fan of brain stimulation and environmental enrichment. I spend more money on “cool” stuff for them than myself, and if anything other than pet products or food shows up on my credit card it gets auto flagged and the bank calls me because something is clearly wrong (LOL!). That being said, when my friend Jenny asked if I would write a blog post of my current favourite animal products I said “YES! Yes, I cannot emphasize how much I’d love to do that!” So, here we go:
Let’s start off with some stats:
Name: Qubit
Species: Canine
Age: 2.5 yrs
Physical: Bionic beast
Mental: Pretty darn smart
Love: Stuffed toys to tear up
Not a fan of: Rain
Name: Aloha
Species: Feline
Age: 10 yrs
Physical: Night zoomer
Mental: Pretty good at controlling her humans
Love: Cuddling under the blanket
Not a fan of: Cold, and the dog
Getting straight to the point:
Quiet Spot Pet Tag Silencer
This is one of my “must haves”. Qubit wears lots of tags. He has his name/address tag, rabies tag, and a city licensing tag. Every time he moves they jingle and jangle, which was cute to begin with, but it started to set other dogs off during our walks in the neighborhood, and I’d prefer not to hear it every single time he moves. This tag silencer is awesome. It fits all of his tags, is stretchy, and is pretty durable. Get yours here.
The Bob-A-Lot
Qubit works for all of his food, treats, and toys. We play lots of games, learn new tricks, and reinforce wanted behavior. He loves it, it’s his number 1 motivator followed by toys and sticks. His meals are more lenient. Breakfast is free, but dinner is fed in The Bob-A-Lot, which is a weighted treat/kibble-dispensing toy. It fits exactly 1 cup of Qubit’s kibbles (they’re quite large in size) and works very well. It works great on a flat surface or carpet, just be careful if you have delicate floors and a dog that likes to pick it up and drop it like mine. There are other puzzle toys out there, but this is the only one I trust Qubit to use without me having to be there. It’s too big to get stuck anywhere, and all the kibbles come out. It’s also very easy to clean, and doesn’t pick up any dirt, hair or debris like our other toys. It’s also inexpensive and a good tool to have on a rainy day.
Cleverpet
Exercise is important, and I don’t mean just physical but mental, too! Just like people, our pets are much healthier and happier if they do things that make them think, ponder, brainstorm, or solve. For all the Einstein dogs out there, the regular toy puzzles can get boring or repetitive, which brings me to my third favourite product: The C
Sleepypod Car Safety for dogs and cats
When Qubit was just a puppy he was sleeping peacefully in the back of our car… until one day we had to slam on the brakes. Since we weren’t going very fast, he fell forward but was able to stop himself before falling off or hitting the back of my seat. This got me thinking… what if we were going at high speeds, or what if we got into an accident? (Knock on wood). I had read horror stories of dogs being injured in accidents, so I decided to search for some safety options for car rides and found A LOT, but Sleepypod was the only one that was certified by the Center for Pet Safety, so we purchased one and love it. It took Qubit some time to get used to it, but it makes car rides so much safer, and since we take him on a lot of road trips it was nice knowing that he was safely buckled like we were. It’s not very restricting, he can lie down and sit up, and the harness itself is like a pad around his chest, with straps behind him where you can slip the seat belt through. It also keeps him from trying to go back and forth in the car, or getting to the front seat. It also doubles as a regular harness too so if your dog is not a puller, it’s a plus! Check it out: http://sleepypod.com/
Barkbox
Of course Qubit has a monthly subscription box. Two new toys, two bags of treats and a chew every month keeps things fun and interesting, especially for a toy lover like him! Sign up for a multi month plan with this link and get a free extra month and your first box for free!
The NoBowl Feeding System for cats
Cats enjoy hunting and playing, whether it is a flirt pole, or a fluffy ball- it’s fun for them, gives them mental and physical exercise and keeps them entertained. These days most domesticated fur masters stay home, lounge around, and unfortunately, gain a lot of weight. This is where the NoBowl Feeding system comes in, though I have to say it only works if your cat is on dry food, or allowed treats (we love Orijen freeze dried bison). This kit comes with 6 little “mice” where you can put food & treats to hide for your cat. It’s like a kong for kitties. Aloha loves it! She loves batting the mouse around and working to get her treats out. Check out their product and videos here.
Go Cat Teaser
I didn’t think Aloha could love another teaser wand, but I decided to try something new anyway and I’m glad I did. She LOVES this toy, much more than her other ones. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the size of the mouse, or the wire being hard to see? Maybe it’s the sparkly handle. I don’t know, but she is obsessed with this toy. She will sit next to it and meow until one of us picks it up and plays with her. It’s fun for us, and helps exercise her so it’s a win-win situation. If your cat likes to pretend she’s a savage hunting jungle kitty get theirs here.
These have been my “everyday/must have” products lately that I wanted to share with you. There are a lot of other good ones out there, and I’d love to hear some of your favourites too!
Oh my goodness what gorgeous animals you have Dorothy! I am 100% aligned with your goals of care and stimulation. Love the Bob-A-Lot and am delighted to know about it.
Wonderful post!
Catherine
Thank you for your kind words, Catherine! I would love your suggestions too 🙂
What a cooool post and what handsome furbabies!! Thank you for sharing Dorothy!
Thank you, beth!!!