Most cat toys are a bit hit and miss when it comes to pleasing your furry little highnesses. But if you’re after a stocking filler for a cat-lovin’ friend, or indeed a feline friend, these are the ones to try. According to Jacque, Louie, Mei Mei and The Internet, most cats will respond to these toys. And would Jacque, Louie, Mei Mei and The Internet lie to you? I think not!

Catnip — Most cats over six months old LOVE cat nip. If only there was a harmless herb that could make me that happy.

Turbot Cat Scratcher — A legend in the USA, this one’s finally reached Australian petstores. It’s fun watching kittens playing with these.

Alpine Cat Scratcher — Different cats like different surfaces for scratchers, but the cat forums seem to love this one paws down.

A Toy Mouse — A mouse is almost always a cat’s favourite toy. Avoid the gadgety and remote-controlled ones and go for small, light, rattly mice without any scary plastic bits that puddy might swallow.

Peek-A-Prize Cat Toy - We make DIY versions of these around here and they’re a big hit with our Mei Mei. Can’t help feeling that the store bought version would last longer and look a little nicer kickin’ round the floor though.

Da Bird — The winner hands down of worldwide cat popularity awards. We’re getting this for our cat soon, so very soon.

It’s not fair is it? As if your furry pal wasn’t having a rough enough trot as it was, now his favourite livery, chickeny treats have got to be scratched from the menu. And you know it’s for his own good, but how can you tell him that?

Weep no longer!

Now, I’m not one for a bake off; my scones are like rocks and my sponges sag, but even I reckon I could whip up a tray of these treats for an unwell pal using  prescription diet products.

So don your baking mitts, unleash the mixing bowl and bake with the vision of your favourite furry chowing down a few “acceptable” treats on Christmas day.

Home Baked Treats using a “Wet” (Canned) Prescription Diet Product

1. Preheat your oven at 180 degrees
2. Tip your pet’s can of prescription diet onto a carving board
3. Cut into bite-sized pieces using a sharp, clean knife
4. Place the pieces on a baking tray and place in your preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until a desired texture is reached.
5. Cool and store the treats in your refrigeration for no longer than 5-7 days.

Home Baked Treats using a “Dry” (Bagged) Prescription Diet Product

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
2. Grind the kibble (biscuits) into flour using a blender.
3. Mix with enough water to form a pliable dough, just like pastry!
4. Roll the dough flat on a chopping board and cut into treat-sized pieces using a clean sharp knife. If you have a pastry tool, (even better in the shape of a bone or fish), cut the shapes out using the tool.
5. Place the pieces on a baking tray and place in your preheated oven
   for approximately 30 minutes until crisp.
6. Cool and store the treats in your refrigeration for no longer than 5-7 days.

Just keep an eye on unsuspecting guests in case they try to sneak one of your cooling tray of “gingerbreads” while you’re not looking!

We moved house last weekend, which was The. Funnest. Thing. Ever. Jack the dog and Mei Mei the kitten are now inner-city dwellers, and love it like a hipster loves his Bed Head hair products. We kept the move as non-traumatic as possible by storing the pets at their beloved Miss C’s place for the two days of the move.

One thing that’s different about the new house is carpet. Given that Jack and Mei Mei are the perfect cat and dog, and quite grown up now, this isn’t a real problem. But still it got me thinking – what would I see in say, a year’s time, if I waved one of these black light devices around?

These babies let you be your own forensics expert. In the dark they light up like a lie detector whenever you pass them over – let’s put this delicately shall we – “pet stains”. They might reveal a little more information than you ever wanted to know, but at least then you can deal and move on.

Given that black lights cost between ten and twenty dollars, you might want to step up to the newest gadget creating a buzz on the ‘net – the Dirt Devil Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor. This is basically a steam cleaner with a built in black light. But think of it – “Ah hah! There’s a stain! ZAP” I never thought I’d grow up to be one of those cleaning commercial women who get FAR TOO EXCITED about a cleaning product. But here I am.

‘Cos let’s face it, pet-lovin’ households can get kinda wiffy, and as Miss T once said, who wants to be known as the neighbourhood “Cat Lady”? At least with this on board, you’ll be able to stay on top of the more insidious smells.

I’ve started working from out of home in a non pet-friendly office building. 

Sigh.

Benny doesn’t have his stay at home friend and I don’t get to hang out with my best barking buddy either.

Double sigh.

Dave on the other hand, runs his own business from a studio up the road with his partner and a daschund called Peanut.  And before Dave took up the healthy Melbourne pastime of cycling, he could bundle Benny into the car and Peanut and Benny could spend the best part of the day making out amongst the computer cords.

Romantic!

But what do we do with Benny now that Dave’s considering a hot lycra wardrobe and best ways to display his newly chiselled calves?

I mean, Benny just hates lycra and it’s hard to get a cycling helmet to fit his ears.

(P.S. Benny was only wearing this helmet for the photoshoot for a little under five seconds and got heaps of yummy doggy treats to thank him too.  Just so’s you know.)

I’m thinking that a well designed DoggyBike riding Backpack could fit the bill.  But I reckon it’ll need these features:

• Made of strong, good quality materials;
• The body should be mesh as opposed to rubber lined for easy breathing;
• Comfortable for the rider/back (It takes Dave about a half hour to get to work, and he’s going to be carrying 8 kgs (plus work stuff in his panniers) on his bike;
• Comfortable for the dog — no awkward positions or crinkled spines;
• Secure so that the dog doesn’t jump out;
• The right size (Benny weighs around 17 pounds.  Interestingly, although he’s not a big boy, most backpacks only cater up to 15 to 16 pounds.)

And I’m proud of myself. For once in my shopping life, colours and even looks don’t even rate.  Dave and Benny’s safety is actually much more important.

Over the past month, I’ve been checking out “pup pack” options in Melbourne pet shops and haven’t been impressed.  A lot of them appear kinda “toyish”, lacking the requisite structure and safety features.  So I’ve started searching the web to find out what else might be available by post.

I’ve found two that on paper look like they will match Dave and Benny’s needs.

The first is the Dog Gone Device which is adjustable, comes with an attachable headpiece and looks like it could be a comfy fit.

And the second is the Snoozer Wheel Around which turns into an adjustable backpack.

Both cost around $60 - $100 US which I think is reasonable enough.

Of course, buying anything off the internet without seeing it, is always a bit of a risk, and obviously it’ll be Dave who has the final say, but I promise to get back to you when we get our package in the mail.

Any readers with advice?

“Twenty dollars for a rope toy? Why not just use a bit of old rope?” Oh yeah. I can just hear my Mum’s voice. But here are the reasons you shell out for a rope toy: they’re made of a safe cottony stuff that won’t shred your dog’s innards if she swallows bits of it. They look kinda nice. And allegedly, they even floss her teeth. Dunno if I really believe this last bit, but I will admit that around here this toy has been a winner at doing what toys are REALLY supposed to do – keep our dog from tearing up our stuff.

Jack loves his rope toy. He dances around with it like a feral with a firestick. We don’t play tug of war with Jack because it makes him INSANE, but you certainly could, and you’d never hurt your hands. And – you might want to stop reading now if you have delicate sensibilities – you can keep the dog interested by smearing vegemite or peanut butter on the rope and fluffy bits every now and then. If I don’t have time to stuff a Kong, a vegemity rope toy will keep Jack busy for a good twenty minutes.

The only downside to this toy is that the plastic crossbar makes a terrifying noise when the toy hits the floor. But we’ve had the toy for six months now and it’s still perfectly intact, so maybe the crossbar is part of the toy’s long life and success. Maybe.

If you’re dog is a chewer, I’d shell out for this. Think of it as an investment in your socks, furniture, legs etc.

RATING:
BUY IT: K-mart
COST: AUD$19.90