Pet Products Review - Drinkwell The Original Pet Fountain.
Do you snuggle up to a potty mouth? Seriously, a potty mouth. If your cat or dog is anything like mine, they drink out of the toilet - yuuuuuck!
Both my pets love the toilet. I can flush the toilet, and they have it timed until the old water is gone, and the new water has trickled in. It's got to stop! So, like Ponce De Leon, I'm on the search for the right fountain.
My local pet store guy said, you have to buy the Drinkwell! Out of the 3 varieties of fountain bowls he sells, the Drinkwell was the most popular, and worked the best. Considering Drinkwell is "the original pet fountain", and the box says "a waterfall of health for your pets" I said sure, why not, but let me start with the small version, not the big one.
This is a cool little product. The Drinkwell takes a reservoir and pool of water, about 6 cups, circulates it through a filter and literally creates a fountain! Yes, with a free falling waterfall. The idea is that the water is aerated and adds oxygen and freshness to the water. Thus bad odors and tastes are removed. A veterinarian actually invented the Drinkwell and recommends the fountain to reduce urinary disease in cats. You see, cats instinctively like to drink fresh running water so the idea is they drink more water and pee more often.
Day 1, both my cat and dog looked at the Drinkwell like some spaceship and me a Martian. Day 2-7 my pets still will not go on the side of the kitchen floor where the Drinkwell sits. On Day 8 I figured the best I had was a $46 Zen water feature for my bedroom. Then I quietly spied Stinky lapping up the water with delight.
This is a great little water bowl and my animals have learned to love it. Just give it some time for them to get used to the noise and flowing water.
If you have a pet product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to: secretshopperblog@gmail.com
One of my favorite online stores for Chi Chi is Cheengoo.com. This little gem of an online boutique has the most adorable high quality gifts, apparel, collars and beds. They have sales too !
The above reversible argyle sweater is just perfect for those collegiate Fall days and now its on nearly 40% off. Chi Chi loves the style and I love the price. Look for us on campus, and in the meantime go to www.cheengoo.com to get one for yourself.
If you have a product that you think will pass the secret shopper's test, send me an email at secretshopperblog@gmail.com.
Pet Products review - Dingo Denta-Treats White Brites
Dingo Denta- Treats White Brites.... What can I say, they should have called it Dingo Denta My Wallet!
Yes, I am concerned about my dog's dental hygiene and health. I've tried the toothbrush and dog toothpaste gig... try it... quite simply that was not an option for me. So, I needed to find an alternative to brushing. I thought Dingo Denta Treats White Brites would be just the ticket. Wrong!
My dog Champ wouldn't even go near the "treat". My Dog Champ wouldn't go near the treat dipped in peanut butter. I was getting frustrated because the package said it was "great tasting", so maybe its just my dog. But to every dog that I tried to push these "treats" off to I got the same reaction, no.
I can't blame the dogs, the bones look like dried out toothpaste. They are rubbery and white. I actually bit down on the product myself because I couldn't imagine that they tasted that bad. Well... it tasted like dried glue (hey I was a kid once; I ate a lot of weird things). No way did it talk liver as the bag said.
Save the $10 dollars it cost for a 30 count bag, and use the toothbrush until a better product is found.
If you have a pet product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to: secretshopperblog@gmail.com
Pets Product Review - Newman's Own Organics Chicken & Brown Rice Formula for Cats 5.5 oz
Marinades, Dressings, Salsa, Ice Tea, Pop Corn, Wheat Puffs, Steak Sauce...... Cat food?
I guess so, Paul Newman and his group of organic professionals must know what's best for pets, and certainly they know it must be organic. When I saw the price tag at $1.99 per 5.5 oz can I thought to myself this stuff has got to be great tasting and totally healthy for this price. It is significantly more expensive than most every other cat food brand in the store; four times the supermarket brand my cat loves.
Chicken & Brown Rice Formula for Cats was my trial selection for my cat. The chicken & Brown rice sounds like what I'd order from a Chinese takeout restaurant if I was on a diet. Formula, I have no idea what that could be?
Now, at the end of the day, yes, I do feel better about buying something that is organic. But when you compare the ingredients to other cat foods produced by companies that only produce pet food products, I can't see myself spending all that money for this brand.
All in all, my cat ate the food. No, he didn't run for it and meow like crazy when I open a can of his favorite beef variety from the supermarket. Then again, I wouldn't get all too excited about chicken and brown rice either.
So other than the price, I can't really say anything bad about Newman's Own Chicken & Brown Rice Formula For Cats, but I would recommend if you were set on buying this product for everyday consumption going to a good online retailer like www.JBPet.com and buying it by the case for a big savings.
If you have a pet product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to: secretshopperblog@gmail.com
Pet Products Review - PetSmart PetsHotel
One of my passions is travel. I travel as often as I can, visiting friends, family, beaches, resorts, historical cities and more. My other passion(s) are my pets. But the two don't always go together. To that end, I'm always on the search for exactly the right pet care service while I'm away.
One of the challenges I've faces is consistency of services and professional credentials and of course value!
Today I stopped in a PetsHotel near the motor city. The people at PetSmart are pretty smart for their PetsHotel covered all of my concerns.
There is so much I could write about that was positive about the PetsHotel operation. But I suggest you go to their very informational website at www.petshotel.com for full details.
http://petshotel.petsmart.com/tour/index.shtml
Here's what I liked about the PetsHotel I visited:
The facilites were incredibly clean and had no odor.
The staff was super friendly, even to humans, and well prepared to assist with my needs. The playtime care specialist was even a certified trainer and a vet is always on call.
The playtime sessions looked organized and well supervised.
The prices were great, even with extra playtime sessions, salon services and snack kong or lactose-free soft serve ice cream treats.
What did not impress me were open exposed atrium rooms. Spend the extra $10 for the suite with a TV and a cot bed.
What I really did not like was the fact that your pet only received "a minimum" of two potty breaks. And the fact that your dog is not walked in an outdoor setting but rather escorted to a room with faux pebble floors for their potty break. My concern is that my dog is very well trained not to go indoors at all. I'm afraid he might feel very uncomfortable for the first day of so until he gets used to the PetsHotel arrangement.
All in all, the PetsHotel is a safe, clean, convenient and affordable boarding option for both dogs and cats. I would certainly trust these professionals watching my pets while I'm gone. But if you and your pet require fresh air walks and outdoor activity, it might not be the best situation for you.
If you have a pet product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to: secretshopperblog@gmail.com
