Life in the city is all about picking up poo. It’s an issue that presses the buttons of non dog owners and it’s easy to understand why – doggy doo is horrible, horrible stuff. But that said – it’s a job that gets easier! I don’t know why, but I’m not nearly as grossed out by the task as I was four months ago. Once I got hold of the stylish and biodegradable “bags on board” the task kind of faded into the background.

The number one reason you should scoop your dog’s poop is so people (especially little people) don’t step in it. That’s pretty self explanatory, eh? It keeps people from running “ban dogs from everywhere” campaigns.

But the number two reason, and one that I didn’t really cop onto until it was pointed out to me, is that it gets washed into waterways and can cause major major problems like e-coli pollution. Yuk! Liquid dog poo! So if, like me, you thought that having Poochy “go” in a non-pedestrian area gave you a get out of jail card think again. Dog poo is even nastier than human waste. You have to pick it all up.

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It was seven in the morning when there was a crash of the front screen door and Irish appeared in the doorway with a parcel and a squirming Cornish Rex kitten under one arm. “You just got a parcel,” he said. “And someone’s excited.”

Of course, everything we do is exciting as far as Mei Mei is concerned.

“It’s the tunnel,” I said, wiping sleep from my eyes and tearing open the box. “I’m hoping it’ll keep her happy while I’m in Melbourne.” I was heading away for a month, and keeping Mei Mei from getting bored and destructive was on my mind.

After reading Miss T’s cat tunnel review we figured a crinkly toy tunnel might be a winner – after all, if Miss T’s somewhat more sedate cats will play with a toy, it’s almost a guarantee that our little bundle of mischief will have a go.

I pulled the brightly coloured disk from the box and untied the bows that held it together. Immediately the tunnel sprang into its full 130cm length and Mei Mei’s head started spinning around on her neck like Linda Blair in The Exorcist.

Best. Toy. Ever. Better even than a cardboard box! And that’s really saying something.

This is a much cheaper option than the stylish and sturdy Katzen Raschel Tunnel. It has two dangle toys at either end, and two holes for poking little heads out of. It also makes exciting crinkly noises that I suppose remind Mei Mei of the squeak of terrified rodents. All up, I call it a winner – it packs flat and is sturdy enough to be pounced on by an exuberant groodle puppy as well. My only complaint would be that it rolls over so that the dangle toys and holds are often floor-side down. But Mei Mei hasn’t complained once.RATING:
BUY IT: Devo’s Pet Products, Ebay
COST: USD$10.00/AUD $12.00

There is nary a cat on this earth that would not choose a toy mouse over every other toy in cat-dom. It’s a fundamental, isn’t it? In preschool we learn “cats chase mice”. Look for small, light mouse toys that are either stuffed with catnip, or make exciting high-pitched noises like a scared rodent. Mei Mei’s favourites are rattle mice – like Ze and Annie in “imagination” we are constantly excavating them from underneath couches, desks and the fridge. They keep her happy for hours.

RATING:
BUY IT: Petstores internationally!
COST: USD$00.20 AUD $00.60

Why do puppies and dogs love those irritating squeaker toys so much? The answer’s simple really - think P.R.E.Y. The squeakers toy manufacturers insert into toy balls, softies etc are a hit because they sound like the sound a dying baby rabbit would make (sorry to put such a vivid mental image in your head but let’s all face the truth here).

If your pooch is anything like the dogs here at Prefurr.com, you’re sure to have a mangled squeaker toy around somewhere. You can’t keep mangled toys ‘cos they might choke your little precious so what to do? Rescue the squeaker and pop it in your treat bag, that’s what. They come in very useful for getting your dog’s attention when you’re out on walks and such. Random uses? Use as an attention getter when you’re teaching “heel”. Use to get Fido running to you when you’re teaching “come”. And use to distract Fifi from sniffing piles of you-know-what on the pavement!

When I was a kid I used to ride my pushie around the country town I lived in with one very energetic kelpie named Beau running precariously on a leash by my side. One day we rode for miles and although we had a fine old time, that night the poor pooch was limping and when I turned over her paw what did I see? No pad at all. Argh!

“Aw yeah they’ll do that,” drawled a stockman I met a few week’s later. “Our cattle dogs’d run their pads off all the time.” Working dogs, it seems, have no off switch.

And that, I think, is why these indulgent but scary-looking contraptions may not be as mad an idea as they seem. Despite the worried-looking dog who models, I could imagine they’d extend the working life of a lot of working dogs, just the way shoes do us humans. The brand has a great reputation among outdoorsy types and the Grip Trex line is designed to turn your dog into a rock-climbing machine, if you so wish.

RATING:
BUY IT: ruffwear.com/waggle.com.au
COST: USD$59.95 AUD $129.95