Plush travel gear for pets on the go

Well, how about convenient pet supply vending machines at all these venues? If designer Carlotta Lennox of Hey Buddy! Pet Supply Vending in Plano, Texas, has her way, they will soon be dotted all over the country, offering pet parents everything from flea collars and poop pick-up bags, to collars and leashes, vitamin-enriched waters, treats and conveniently packaged foods such as the Doggie Vita range of fully-cooked Italian pasta meals for dogs.

Packaged to look like a Lean Cuisine meal, dogs will have a choice of such scrumptious delights as lasagna with wild boar meat, cheese tortellini pasta with walnuts or fusilli pasta with salmon.

“They don’t require refrigeration,” says marketing manager Michael Kelly, “and are ready to be served in disposable containers.”

Disposable is definitely becoming a keyword in the pet industry, as manufacturers compete to design special travel dinnerware with disposable bowl liners that insert into the bowl frame and can be tossed after a meal, giving pet owners a convenient and germ-free alternative to have to wash up after every meal.

Dogs who enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities can now to take care of their own supplies by wearing a specially designed doggy backpack, and ergonomically designed boots beat the heat on hot hiking trails and beaches in the latest designs — they even flash just like kids’ sneakers.

www.bamboopet.com Feed+Toss, disposable bowl system for dogs and cats offers convenience, cleanliness and healthy benefits for your pets.

There’s also an excellent selection of collars, leashes, harnesses and pet vests that come fitted with the latest battery-powered illumination technology, allowing them to glow or flash in the dark. They light up in a variety of eye catching colors like neon green, yellow and hot pink and come in a great selection of fabric designs.

Apart from offering excellent visibility to both the pet and its owner, they offer added security should your pet escape by allowing you to see the direction in which to follow — some can be seen up to a mile away.

The latest tags designed specifically for travel, start off the size of luggage tags to allow you to write destination details legibly and then, when popped into a toaster oven, shrink down to a standard sized pet tag. They come in packs and are ideal when your travel plans stretch to include a number of hotels and destinations.

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With so many new products designed for pet lovers to travel with their companion animals in secure comfort, the stay-at-home pet could possibly become an extinct breed.

Sandy Robins is an award-winning pet lifestyle writer. She is a member of both the Dog Writers Association of America and the Cat Writer’s Association of America. She lives in Southern California with a menagerie of well-traveled pets.

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