Holiday gifts for pampered pets

Sandy Robins • E-mail

It’s that gift-giving time of year again and America’s imaginative pet toy and gift manufacturers have been hard at work dreaming up innovative presents for Fido and Fluffy to celebrate this howliday season.

According to the 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey published by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), it promises to be a big spending spree with an estimated 154 million pet owners expected to splurge on toys, treats and decorative housewares.

No doubt a cell phone is going to be on top of every yuppie puppy’s wish list.

The bone-shaped, waterproof and scratch-resistant PetCell, by Petsmobility, attaches to the collar and auto answers like a speakerphone. It’s designed for workaholics to stay in touch with stay-at home pets. It will also help quickly retrieve a lost pet, as anyone finding an animal wearing a phone will be able to contact the owner by simply pressing the callback button.

PetsMobility Network The PetCell collar for pets

The phone is priced around $300. The monthly calling plan, costing around $15, will launch in March 2006.

Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about Fido going over his minutes because he won’t be able to dial out. And, despite this wonderful technology, rollover, in dog terms, still means just that!

Pearls for pups
Fashion trends dictate that different colored strands of pearls worn as necklaces, collar charms and anklets are this season’s hot jewelry item for both cats and dogs.

“Freshwater pearls are very popular,” says Laura Thompson Temple of Fifiany and Co. in Philadelphia. “And so are strands of pink pearls intertwined with gray.” 

The 2006 Oscar Newman Collection focuses on silver trinkets studded with seed pearls and Swarovski crystals in popular pastels that mimic semi-precious stones like pink tourmalines, ice blue topaz and peridot. Necklaces ($90) and matching anklets ($12) on a soft flexible cord are designed to accessorize the latest canine fashions.

Oscarnewman.com Necklace and anklet accessories from the Oscar Newman Collection

Consequently, a velvet chaise lounge-shaped pet jewelry box for jewels and hair accessories at Dukeanducchesspetgifts.com would make a great gift ($58).

Another must-have item is a pale pink faux fur coat, confirms designer Stephanie Bell of Fancy Furs. She adds that Santa Claus outfits are hugely popular again this year, worn with pearls of course!

A pet carrier is currently the most essential lifestyle-to-go accessory that any dog, cat, parrot, rat, rabbit and ferret can own. The messenger bag style is practical and trendy for pet lovers who ride bicycles or scooters. The Celltei Pak-o-Bird can be carried as a front or back carrier as well as a shoulder bag. The dense mesh keeps insects out and prevents the bird pecking through it. There are also two D-Rings for hanging bird toys and adjustable perches. From $89.

Dishes for fancy feasts
The holiday season is the perfect time to buy the family pet its own dinnerware, possibly even a dining table.

Designer Susan Sherwood of Jo Sherwood Designs turned to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for inspiration for her Civilized Pet Collection. The handcrafted glass designs are dishwasher safe and have matching place mats as well as lids to seal cans ($24 to $45). A fluted water bowl on a wrought iron stand is an ideal gift for a pet that enjoys drinking out of a glass. It also prevents long, floppy ears from getting wet ($37).

The Rare Earth Company has a range of two-bowl and four-bowl pet bistro tables in oak, mahogany and maple. Priced at about $500, they are designed to blend with the general interior design of any home.

Fluffy would probably enjoy an extra comfort zone around the home. The shaggy Beetle-style couch from Catnap (Wild Things for Pets) comes in shocking pink and a multitude of fun colors, for $89.

Reef-one.com The BiOrb Smart Aquarium

For tropical fish fans, the BiOrb Smart Aquarium is the latest spherical state-of-the-art fish tank with simple instructions: “Add water, add fish.” It’s equipped with an LED light system with programmable settings offering sunrise, sunset and moonlight modes, and also has a five-stage filtration system that takes all the hassle out of fish care. $129.99 from Reef-one.com.

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