by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Messy eaters, Pet Parents rejoice!

Is your pet a messy eater?  Does your dog drool while drinking water?  Boy do I have the solution for you!  Recently, Max the resident pet product tester, was sent a big box with one of the most revolutionary new pet products I’ve seen in a while. When I first saw this product, I thought, “wow, what a great idea, and damn it why didn’t I think of that!”  What am I talking about?  The Neater Feeder of course.  Made right here in the good ‘ol US of A from recyclable plastic.  While Max is not the messiest of eaters, he does tend to drool a bit when he drinks water, nothing like a Mastiff or Great Dane – but enough where I was always cleaning the wooden elevated feeder and floor around it – often enough to be annoying, to say the least.

The Neater Feeder feeding solution is designed to take the mess out of mealtime thanks to its raised backsplash and dual reservoir which contains and separates spills and splatters, preventing soggy kibble and slick floors. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

When I opened the box to the Neater Feeder – Max was very curious as to what was in the box. After cleaning the stainless steel bowls and wiping down the rest of the feeder I set it up, put fresh water in the new bowl and prepared his dinner (kibble and his other new favorite Evermore Pet Food).  It was a little past his dinner time and he was hungry – but when I put the food bowl into the feeder he was scared of it!  Classic Max, I am scardy cat American Pit Bull Terrier who doesn’t really like change – and I mean scared that he was standing about 3 or 4 feet away from the feeder crying.  Unbelievable I thought while laughing, “Max you’re such a baby, come here.”  It took about 10 minutes of slowly coaxing bringing the bowl ever closer to the feeder and finally being able to put the bowl inside of the feeder.  He did back up a few times still while eating and cried again, but I guess hunger took over.  OMG!

After the initial drama, he now has adapted to the minor change in his life and loves the feeder – and the BEST part – when he drinks water he stands there and any dribble is caught in the filter area in front of the bowls and it conveniently falls through to the reservoir area below.  One day about a week after he had it, some smaller kibble that was mixed with his regular food (another product he was testing) made him cough a mouth full of food – and where did it land, not all over the floor – but right back into the feeder!  With his last elevated feeder, which I did like for what it was, that food would have gone everywhere.  So we are converts – loving this new feeder, the care and maintenance of it is cake and I would highly recommend it.  The product comes in all small, medium and large and there is even a version for cats too. Like with the one Max has it has extra extender legs with non-skid rubber treads to raise it even.

So Max has concurred a fear, is no longer drooling, spilling, or spitting any food on the floor.  It’s great for human error too, just the other day I was putting fresh water in his bowl pouring from the Brita pitcher and I splashed the water and all the water landed right inside the feeder. Thank you Neater Feeder!  One last thing – Max will be sharing his new found feeder wealth with one lucky winner – check out our weekly newsletter (you can sign up above to the right) for an upcoming “Where in the World is Max” contest.  The person who correctly guesses where Max is will get their very own Neater Feeder!  (Be sure to sign up and watch for the contest – it will be coming up soon!)

crunch, crunch, crunch!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Likable Linkables

So if you wondering what Max has been doing in between his travels and photo shoots for the ‘Where in the world is Max’ contest, he is hard at work earning his daily kibble by product reviewing dog toys.  It’s a ruff job, but somebody’s dog has to do it.  In the last few weeks, in between his daily walks he has been playing with a few different toys by Premier Pet Products.

The first toy, I knew he would probably destroy – but quicker than I expected.  I don’t normally get him any kind of toys that are in the realm of stuffed animals – because they never last long.  He has a method to his madness first ripping off the tag, then delicately (as if he were a seamstress in his former doggie life) removes the thread of the seem, usually about an inch or two long – then pulls out the stuffing with the sole purpose of removing the toys’ squeaker.  But, he never destroys the squeaker – which I find kind of ironic.

So when I gave him the large size Premier Pogo Plush Ball which has an outer soft plush shell an inner bouncy frame and free floating squeaker inside of that, I thought maybe he play with it for a bit.  But sadly he destroyed the toy within about 3 minutes – and yes he ripped the tag off first and left the squeaker in tact. (Crazy dog!)  Now if you have a dog that likes stuffed animal type of toys, or plush toys and doesn’t destroy them – your dog may really enjoy this new type of toy.  If your dog is a chewer or just likes to rip apart toys – I wouldn’t recommend it.  I had a Doberman that loved her plush toys, and would have them for years – she would have loved this toy so much.  So it boils down to knowing what is good for your dog. (Continued below).

Luckily, however, Premier also has a new product line called Busy Buddy Linkables – and Max is absolutely loving these toys and having a blast playing with them.  At first, he wasn’t sure what to do when I linked the Orb Linkable with the Elbow Linkable and put some of his dog food in there.  The Orb is kind of heavy for him to toss around – but he was pushing and flipping the both around for I would say 2 hours the first day he had them.  Which is great because it kept him very busy, drained a lot of mental and physical energy playing with the toy and he couldn’t destroy it.  The next day I just put treats in the Elbow Linkable and he was tossing and flipping the toy all over the deck – it was quite comical.   So if you are looking for a toy to keep your dog very busy, active, and out of your hair for a bit – I would highly recommend the Linkable product line.  So out of both products, one paw up and one paw down from Max.

And as with any toy you give your dog – you should always monitor your dog.  I am lucky that Max does not like to eat or ingest toy products – but many dogs do even if by accident.  Make sure you watch your dog and don’t leave them unattended with toys they could eat any parts of.  Also if you put his kibble in there, make sure you deduct that amount from his food at night so you don’t make your dog obese in the process.

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Earth Friendly Products for Paws

It’s Earth Day, and we don’t normally think of pet products on this day – we are usually thinking of planting, cleaning up and ways we can be more environmentally friendly as humans. Fortunately there is now a big market for earth friendly or green pet products. My own dog happens to have a few of them, and we would love to share some of our favorites – and some cats products too.

100% Biodegradable Green Doggie Bags – waste pick up bags. This is a wonderful product for so many reasons, it’s made right here in the USA. All the packaging is made from recycled materials, and the doggie pick up bags are shelf stable – meaning they are not going to degrade on your store shelf or in your car, but they will degrade in landfills, naturally when exposed to the earth’s elements and micro-organisms in the soil and leaving no harmful residues behind. They also have handy tie handles that made it is easier carry and dispose of properly. This is a wonderful product and you will feel better about picking up after your dog knowing you are using a totally green product – not just putting their waste in a regular plastic bag.

Have a kitty? Then you definitely will want to try Worlds Best Cat Litter™ made from corn!  You heard me.  Corn the wonder product – in my opinion.
The natural benefits of World’s Best Cat Litter™, is that they are a biodegradable, flushable, septic-safe and clumping cat litter that uses whole-kernel corn to deliver outstanding odor control.  Using no synthetic chemicals, clays or perfumes, it clumps quick, scoops easy, while remaining pet, people and planet friendly.  At a recent Pet Socialite event,  World’s Best Cat Litter was debuting their Lavender scented litter –  the fragrance is made of an all-natural oil blend including lavender. The oil blend does not contain any chemicals or synthetic ingredients and is derived from a plant based oil.  This product just might make the humans in your house purr!

Looking for a great way to recycle your old clothes and make your pet comfy as well? Molly Mutt came up with a fantastic idea of making a doggie duvet cover – how is it “green?” Molly Mutt diy (do it yourself) dog bed kits are an exciting new approach to keeping textiles out of landfills. Cover your existing dog bed with the molly mutt dog duvet, or fill it with the old clothes and bedding you’ve got laying around your house. They now have a mesh stuff sack to the product line, to make it as simple as grabbing old textiles, throwing it in the mesh bag, and covering it all up with your new fabulous Molly Mutt dog duvet. By “upcycling” your household leftovers, you save money and help keep textiles out of the waste cycle. They have some beautiful duvet styles to choose from to fit into any décor.

If you just got back from taking your dog on a long hike through the woods, (250 challenge), and now he needs a bath – you will want to check out TropiClean shampoos and conditioners. Made from all-natural ingredients and come in varieties like, Aloe, Berry Clean, Papaya, Kiwi, and Peach to name a few. Tropiclean bottles are made from recycled materials (PCR), post consumer resin. The sleeve labels are made from corn which makes them natural, renewable, biodegradable and 100% recyclable! They also use products and materials made right here in the USA! Not to mention the shampoos and conditioners smell wonderful too.

So while you are out shopping at your local mom & pop pet store, look for more earth friendly pet products, and do so all year long. If we all make one little change in what products we buy for our pets we will make the Earth a better place for all of us, and decrease our carbon paw prints. There are many more options out there too – so ask! Happy Earth Day!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Pet Products and Celebrities

Once again Charlotte Reed, celebrity and pet product expert of Pet Socialite Events hosted a fabulous event on Tuesday, April 5th in New York City.  The Better Health and Wellness Pet Product Showcase event not only included some of the coolest new pet products this pet professional has seen in a long time, it was also host to many celebrities in attendance.  “I decided to do this showcase on Better Health and Wellness, because as more and more people are concerned with their own health and wellness, they are now looking for healthier, better, more organic and green products for their pets,” stated Charlotte Reed.

Charlotte Reed and Beth Stern

One of the first new products, I was really wishing had been invented while my other dog was still living since she always seemed to get minor cuts and scraps while playing, running, or on hikes is the PawFlex™ Bandages. I used to have to keep rolls of bandage, tape and gauze in the medicine cabinet – just in case – and this will solve that in an all-in-one simple solution, fantastic!  PawFlex is the first disposable, non adhesive stretch duel hook fastener bandage system designed specifically for our pets. Based in Brooklyn, and created by Jennifer DiGrazia, CEO of PawFlex – because of their beloved blind dog Maddy that she rescued, read more about it here.

PawFlex bandage2

Each bandage design has been specially created for a specific problem area regarding wound care as well as for distinct characteristics that has made past bandages less than adequate.  Also, each individually wrapped PawFlex bandage has a wound pad already attached, making it the first and only “ALL IN ONE” bandage for dogs.

There are currently four PawFlex designs ready for market with several more designs waiting to follow. Each design ranges from sizes XSmall to XLarge.  They will be soon available in local pet retail stores and vet offices.  Jennifer said, “they would also like to eventually be able to donate to small rescue groups and shelters.”

To prevent a little dog or puppy from falling off a balcony, your deck, through a slotted fence or baby gate – this next product is not only for safety, but pretty cute and very functional too.  Puppy Bumpers® originally called “Condo Collars” were invented by Ann Price in order to keep her own dog from getting through a baby gate.  The patented Puppy Bumpers® have been endorsed by dog trainers, veterinarians and other dog professionals as a non-aversive way to keep dogs safely inside a fence.

Puppy Bumpers

Ann Price of Puppy Bumpers showing Sonja Morgan of The Real Housewives of NYC

Did your pet just have surgery and is now a wearing a dreaded plastic e-collar and bumping into everything with it?  There is a better solution, the Trimline™ Recovery Collar.  Made from a specially designed fabric that is water resistant, non-allergenic and non-toxic, the Trimline collar easily slips over a pet’s head stays in place thanks to a drawstring design and is strong enough to withstand chewing and clawing. You also don’t have to worry about your pet bumping into things with the hard plastic e-collar with this new Trimline Collar – my dog would sometimes get stuck in doorways with the old big plastic e-collar on and scratch and dent furniture or walls – this won’t happen with the Trimline Collar.

My dog Max modeling the collar!

It is also folds, which is great to keep in a first aid kit in your car and one in your home.

The collar is an effective, flexible, collar for use with cats and dogs during grooming sessions or experiencing injury, surgery and trauma restraint conditions. It allows the animal to eat, drink and sleep in comfort while providing a barrier to the treatment area for licking and biting. It is soft, lightweight and easily applied with a simple drawstring design.

Then there was gym equipment made specifically for pets call FitPAWS which are like human fitness balls.  By looking at these you could see why they would be beneficial for pets with arthritis, that need physical therapy, and for pet enrichment and fun!  One may think a dog wouldn’t know what to do with the products, but all the dogs that were there hopped right on and seemed to instinctively know what to do, it was quite amazing.  One pit bull mix was having a blast it was very cute to see him on the equipment.  There was also a pet gym set up, that Charlotte Reed designed with pet health, activity and stimulus in mind and had FitPAWS equipment a doggie treadmill and more.

FitPAWS Gym Equipment

Going green – there were also a few different pet products that are honoring the green, holistic, organic and keeping local movement.  From very cool, unique and fantastic designed cat scratch posts, bed by Imperial Cat; to green dog beds by Molly Mutt – a dog bed duvet using your own old laundry for the stuffing of the bed; a brand new line of interactive pet toys and products that are safety tested to children’s toy standards by SafeMadePet™ and a local Long Island company; to lavender scented, made from corn, clumping cat litter by World’s Best Cat Litter; and grain free pet treats and raw pet food made from locally farmed products ingredients by Pawgevity™.

There will be a few other pet product reviews on products that were at the event coming up, right here on LIPetPlace.com – look for them soon!

Cubby, celebrity dog from Doggie Moms!

By Nancy Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

No Place Like Home, Pet Product Showcase

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of being invited to a media event for 25 of the most elite, beautifully designed and innovative pet products from companies across the US.  This exclusive pet product showcase, No Place like Home, that took place in Manhattan was presented by Pet Socialite Events and hosted by the fabulous pet trend and lifestyle expert, Charlotte Reed.  Among the press attending the event were various celebrities, most notably Richard Belzer and his dog BeBe an adorable poodle-fox terrier mix. 

  
Richard Belzer & BeBe checking out products

There was also elaborately designed ‘pet bedroom suite’ to tour that was decorated to meet the needs of pets and their owners.  

Some of the companies or manufacturers that were showcasing their products were: Furminator; Kyjen (Outward Hound); Sturdi Products; Luxury Pets; Bamboo; Hartz; Thunder Shirt; Premier; Designer Catbox; Unleashed Life; YepYup; Ecosmart; CitiKitty; R2 Solutions and more.  One of the companies had a very unique product, nothing this pet professional has every seen before – agility for pet fish – I kid you not, more to come on this.  This event was pretty crowded and filled with many pet press enthusiasts.   

  
If you look closely to left low hand corner you might spot a certain NJ House wife holding her cat, Grandma Wrinkles.

After receiving many unexpected pet product freebies from the event, what else to do but put them to the ultimate test, product reviews from my dog Max.  Over the next few weeks, we will be rating the products based on Max’s liking, how the product holds up, quality and more.  So be sure to look out for his reviews soon!  The first product being reviewed is doing quite well, here’s a teaser picture of Max getting his first sniff: