These are 10 pet products that look completely unnecessary, but make owning a dog and/or cat a lot more awesome!
It never ceases to amaze me how much some people will pamper their pets. Then again, since a lot of people think of their pets as children, it makes sense to want to give them the world. In 1994, the American Pet Product Association (yes, that's a real thing) estimated that American pet owners spent $17 billion on their furry friends. Today, yearly spending on pet products has ballooned to an estimated $69.36 billion. It hasn't become 4x expensive to own a dog, but there are a whole lot more products you can pamper your pooch with. Me, I can't get on board with a lot of it. Sure, we'll grab the dogs a bag of bones or canister of tennis balls when we're at the store. But other than that, we try not to spend a whole lot on random dog treats and toys. Boutique pet stores mean boutique prices, and I'm not about that. But I recently dove head first into the Amazon rabbit hole and there are a ton of pet products that actually make a lot of sense. I would never think of actually going to a store to buy one of these, but Amazon just makes it so easy ... I'm going to split this up evenly between dogs and cats, otherwise we'll get death threats for favoring one over the other. (Editor's Note: Go Team Dog)Dogs
Doggie Rain Shoes ($13.99 on Prime)
I have two Springer Spaniels at home (one of them is pictured above). Being a hunting breed, they actually have slight webbing in their paws to make it easier for them to swim. They were literally born to be in the water. So you can imagine my shock to see these show up at my door. My wife thought it would be a good idea to put our dogs in water shoes for when we take trips to the river.
I blew a gasket. But then she put the shoes on them, and I almost died laughing. If you have never tried putting shoes on your dog, trust me: the experience is worth it. It looks something like this:
Gravity Water Dispenser ($14.99 to $34.90 on Prime)
Let me tell you what the two worst things in the world are: accidentally kicking your dog's water bowl and having to bend over and refill it every hour. This fixes both of those problems.
If you have a small dog, then the 1 gallon version is more than enough. But if you have a large dog or multiple dogs, definitely spend the extra money on the 4 gallon version. Doggie water fountains might sound appealing, but no one enjoys paying for replacement water filters. This is just gravity fed.
Bissell Spotbot ($129.99 on Prime)
If you have a puppy, then you know how horrible it is to have to clean up their poop or pee. When we got our first dog, we bought an upright carpet cleaner/shampooer. But when puppies are having accidents left and right, it gets really annoying to have to lug the cleaner out and use it. They're really designed for full-room shampoo jobs, not spot-cleaning.
The Bissell Spotbot has been a godsend. Whenever one of our pets has an accident, we just place the Spotbot down on the stain, hit the button, and walk away. The spot-cleaner scrubs and shampoos the stain without you having to do anything at all. It's perfect, and I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to buy one years sooner.
Puffed Cow Ears ($59.99 for 100 on Prime)
I was walking through the farm supply store one day when my dog leaped up onto the dog treat counter and grabbed a cow ear. I asked an employee why the store would put treats in reach of dogs, but it makes total sense. The dogs eat them and then the owner has to pay for them. The employee offered me a deal if I bought a bag of them, and I went home with a bag of puffed cow ears, having never even heard of them.
This is crack for dogs. They absolutely love cow ears. So, I got to work figuring out how I could feed my dogs' addiction without breaking the bank and paying $2 or $3 a piece. I stumbled on this Amazon deal and had to order them. At 59¢ with free shipping, this is a no-brainer. Even when they're on sale, my local store still charges $1.80 each.
Don't confuse these with pig ears. Pig ears are usually a lot greasier and end up wrecking a dog's digestion system (if you know what I mean). The puffed cow ears are light as a feather and not greasy at all.
Wireless Home Monitoring Camera ($39.99 on Prime)
People have been using baby monitors with their babies for years. It only makes sense to have a video camera for monitoring pets. I wanted a camera that would let me watch what my animals are up to when I'm out of the house AND work with my Alexa device. A lot of the big name cameras cost hundreds of dollars and require you to buy multiple cameras and a hub to run them. I settled on this EZVIZ Mini O 720p. It works great, doesn't require any extra tech, and can also be used to watch your house when you're not home.
Something ridiculous I would buy for my dogs and cat if I had the money: Petcube Bites WiFi Camera ($249 on Prime)
This is what I was talking about when I said that cameras can get really pricey. However, this one has a unique interactive feature: it gives you the ability to reward your dogs with treats. It's pretty expensive, but seems like something that'd be worth trying if money were no object.
Cats
Whole Sticks of Catnip ($7.59 on Prime)
It's no secret that cats love catnip. I hate catnip. Why? Because it usually comes ground up in a little jar or bag. Anytime I try to put it on my cat's toys, it ends up just getting sucked off the floor the next time we vacuum. These are whole sticks of catnip and are great for cleaning your cat's teeth. And at $7.59 for 20 sticks and free Prime shipping, this is pretty much a no-brainer. I wouldn't be caught dead going to the store for this, but I'd gladly add it to my shopping cart ...
Cat Grooming Gloves ($13.86 on Prime)
Somewhere out there, an inventor out there decided he or she needed to invent a cat grooming glove. When I first saw this, I laughed. Who would ever buy cat grooming gloves when a brush would suffice?
Well, I picked up my cat and started brushing her. Apparently, I broke the unwritten rule of cat brushing and she swatted me with her paw, giving me a tiny scratch on my hand. Nothing serious, but I like to go through life not being scratched by cats. Two days later, these cat grooming gloves were on my front porch and I was back to brushing my cat in safety.
Cat Toilet Training Kit ($29.99 on Prime)
The thought to teach my cat to use the toilet had never crossed my mind. I first saw this and couldn't help but scratch my head. I know friends who swear by these kits, but I never saw the need.
Then, I was cleaning the litter box one day and got a whiff. On that day, I resolved to remove litter boxes from my life entirely. I purchased this kit and am just starting to train my cat to use the porcelain throne instead. No progress to report yet, but if you hate changing litter boxes as much as I do, then this is definitely worth a shot.
DJ Turntable Scratching Deck ($26.99 on Prime)
This is not necessary in any way, but if you dream of watching your cat dropping the sickest beats, then this is a must have. I am not sure what the market for kitty DJs is, but I have to think that clubs would pay top dollar for one. And when it comes to DJing, practice makes perfect. Teach your cat to DJ with this ridiculous scratching deck. Trust me, the photos alone are worth it ...
Cat Lion Mane Wig ($6.95 on Prime)
I don't really have a reason for this, but I added it to my shopping cart one night, and it is absolutely hilarious. Make no mistake, my cat hates it. But I love it and that's what matters ...
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What say you? What is the weirdest thing you've ever bought for your pet? Tell us in the comment section below!
