The most popular gifts for pets this holiday season well may range from the latest in cat lavatories to black leather biker outfits for pooches with an attitude.
About 150 new items were introduced recently at the 27th annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show in Rosemont, where manufacturers unveiled products for holiday gifts.
One item that received a lot of attention was the Sweet “P” Dry System, a waste-disposal box for cats that is being marketed as litter- and odor-free.
Manufactured by Sweet “P” Corp., a Niagara Falls, N.Y. firm, the container has a patented aerification process that purportedly eliminates the ammonia odor of urine by drying the urine through exposure to air. (Sweet “P” Corp. literature claims that waste mixed with cat litter in conventional litter boxes stays sodden for long periods and causes bacteria to develop, which ultimately results in strong odors.)
The Dry System resembles most litter pans, but it includes a pullout bottom tray where urine is collected on a superabsorbent pad and a boxlike compartment at one end for collecting solid waste.
In the Dry System, urine flows through reusable epoxy-coated granules in the top tray onto a large superabsorbent diaperlike pad in the “aerification chamber” at the bottom of the container. The pad, which should be changed weekly, also allows for the monitoring of pets with urinary problems because blood or crystals can be spotted easily on the pads, according to the manufacturer.
Solid waste is scooped from the granules and stored in the collection box for a recommended weekly disposal in the toilet. The granules must be cleaned with water monthly to remove any lingering waste materials and should be replaced twice a year.
A starter unit, which includes the litter containers, the waste storage box, a cleaning brush and scooper/scraper, 10 pounds of reusable epoxy-coated Sweet P granules and 12 Sweet-Pads, retails for about $50. Additional pads are about $6 a dozen and the granules about $8 for 10 pounds.
Accessories, such as plastic covers shaped like a bank building or gazebo (about $35), or a white picket fence (about $15), with flower pots and flowers (about $20), also are available. There’s also a ramp for the less spry feline.
Further information is available from the Sweet “P” Corp., 1-800-937-9909.
Let’s play together
The show’s buzzwords were “interactive cat toys” or “cat aerobic systems.” These products give owners and their cats a way to play with one another.
An innovative aerobic system is Kittybird, made of turkey feathers colored with nontoxic dyes and stuck into a small dishlike base weighted with sawdust. Cats may play with Kittybird on their own. When Kittybird is clipped onto a 36-inch fiber glass wand with an elastic cord, it becomes an interactive cat toy. Made by Kittybird Inc., of Deerfield Beach, Fla., the toy costs about $4. Replacement feathers are available. Call 1-800-235-4889 for more information.
Another variation of the interactive cat toy is the Kitten Mitten, distributed by Harper Leather Goods, Chicago. This is a conventional-looking, brightly colored knit glove, except for tiny plush toys (with moveable eyes) that are attached by elastic cord to each fingertip. One toy is a tiny bird with a feathered tail. It retails for about $5. Call 312-376-2662 for more information.
Also for the feline set is the Cat ZoomGroom, a feline-shaped grooming tool that conforms to a groomer’s hands. The tool’s 26 tapered grooming “fingers” gently massage the cat and deal aptly with different fur types and hair balls. ZoomGroom, manufactured by Kong Co., of Lakewood, Colo., will retail for about $7. Call 1-303-233-9262.
Something for everyone
To keep track of pet ferrets, Marshall Pet Products Inc., of Wolcott, N.Y., has introduced bell collars for them. The collars come in nine neon and primary colors. They retail from 99 cents to $1.40. Call 315-594-1760 for more information.
For lovers of aquatic pets, Blue Ribbon Pet Products Inc., of Commack, N.Y., introduced its Exotic Environment Aquarium Ornaments line, 37 handpainted replicas of medieval castles, castle walls and ruins with swim-through chambers for fish and reptiles. Heights range from 4 to 20 inches. The replicas retail for $6 to $80. Call 1-516-864-1555 for more information.
Another show-stopper was the Critter Carnival, a deluxe bug viewer for captured insects. Critter Carnival has a Ferris wheel, seesaw, tight rope, swing, slide, maze and a water hole for the insects. Its plastic dome provides easy viewing and pops off for insect replacement and interior cleaning. Manufactured by ExploraToy Division of Educational Insights, Compton, Calif., the viewer comes with tweezers, a capture net, scoop and bug-information wheel. The insects must be provided; the most popular ones are crickets and ladybugs. Critter Carnival retails for about $13. Call 1-800-933-3277 for more information.
Here Spot, here Spot
Fashions, mainly for canines, ran the gamut from Santa Fe-style dog blankets to black leather biker jackets and visors.
Getting a great deal of attention was the biker outfit by Razz Pe’Tazz-PCI, of Placerville, Calif. Cris Price, Razz Pe’Tazz spokesman, said his company created the outfit a year ago for “a Chihuahua with a real bad reputation; he had bitten people from one end of the country to the other.”
The set retails for $45 to $75 (depending on dog size). For more information, call 1-916-622-8403.
