Unexpected ideas for pet Christmas gifts
Pet owners looking to launch the next Internet sensation or wanting a new view of their dog’s dashing and digging can wrap up a dog harness that holds any durable, wearable camera and watch the pet’s activities from the dog’s perspective.
GoPro’s Fetch dog harness fits over a dog’s chest or back and holds a small, waterproof camera known for attaching to helmets, surfboards, cars and wrists to film rugged adventures. Sony, Garmin and Kurgo also make camera mounts for dogs.
The device is among a legion of gifts that retailers have rounded up for pet wish lists this year.
The most pet-friendly camera in the GoPro line is the Hero4, which allows people to decide what the camera records and control all the functions with a touch screen, Kelly Baker of GoPro said. The camera sells for $399, and the mount $59.
The chest harness captures bone-chewing and digging, while the back mount films running and jumping, Baker said. They adjust to fit dogs weighing 15 to 120 pounds.
The canine camera view has proved popular. A video went viral of an eager Labrador strapped with a camera sprinting through trees and across rocks to an Italian beach, where it leaps into the ocean.
Those looking for pet gifts besides the traditional treats, new bowls and beds can give something unexpected such as:
▪ Ugly sweaters are the rage this year, so PetSmart will have ugly sweaters for cats and dogs from Bret Michaels’ Pets Rock line ($15.99), said spokesman Shelly Albrecht.
PetSmart also is selling leg warmers online and in stores from Top Paw and Luv-A-Pet.
▪ Petco has a line of “Star Wars” toys and clothing. Dress up dogs like Princess Leia with a headband sporting her signature bun hairstyle. The Death Star won’t menace when it comes as a treat dispenser ($7.49) or tug-of-war toy ($5.99).
Plush squeaker toys feature favorite characters – R2-D2, Chewbacca and Darth Vader – for less than $10. And for cats, the Millennium Falcon flies at the end of a teaser toy string for less than $5.
▪ Make it easier for your senior dog to get around safely with equipment from Solvit Pet Products (www.solvitproducts.com). Help them avoid injury in the car with a Department of Transportation-tested safety harness ($30) and ease their way out of the vehicle with a ramp for those who can no longer jump ($159).
▪ Keep pets close on a bike ride with a bicycle trailer or stroller ($399) or with a wicker basket ($89).
▪ Make an attempt at humor with Big Mouth’s toilet-inspired water dish for dogs. The ceramic dish uses a 2-liter bottle as a reservoir for a supply of fresh water. Priced at about $22, it’s available at Amazon.com, Target, Wal-Mart and other nationwide retailers.
▪ For cats, Robusto makes a sturdy Loving Pets dinner bowl of heavy-gauge aluminum with a bacteria-resistant ceramic-like interior. Available in five colors, it’s priced at $9.99 and is available at Petco, PetSmart and Amazon.com.
▪ From SuperCat comes Plush Toys with a catnip spray. There is a variety of characters – dinosaurs, birds, gators – to keep little Fluffy occupied. And with the catnip spray, happy. Available through Amazon.com (which sells them in pairs for about $17.70) and Doctors Foster and Smith’s website, drsfostersmith.com.
▪ An Airedale pet waste bag makes you at least look fashionable as you and Fido go about his business. The tote ($10) holds a roll of disposable plastic bags, also festooned with the Airedale design ($8 for three rolls of 20 bags), for waste collection. Once the pickup has been made, simply dispose of the waste bag. Available at aimeewilder.com/collections/pet.
Contributing: Chicago Tribune
This story was originally published November 26, 2014 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Unexpected ideas for pet Christmas gifts."