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Month: July 2013

Chomping Away

Ever heard the phrase, “long in the tooth?” It’s not just another unflattering idiom that compares people to rodents. It can be a serious issue for small-pet owners.

“When rodents gnaw on things, it keeps the teeth from overgrowing and creating problems,” Ron Reid, Vitakraft Sunseed’s zoologist and nutritionist, said. “Sometimes you’ll see the lower teeth growing up and wearing down the upper, possibly causing severe damage to the animal.”

Just like their wild ancestors’ impressive chompers, small pets’ incisors grow constantly, so small-animal owners must offer their captive pets the opportunity to chew.

“The types of food they eat in the wild allow them to keep their teeth in proper shape, but when they’re in captivity they don’t have the opportunity to forage,” Reid said. “That makes it more difficult to maintain their teeth.”

Living World Colorful Cardboard Chew-Nels can be connected to make long, chewable tunnels. They are filled with bedding material so small animals can play, chew and burrow happily.

Chew Time

All types of pocket pets including rabbits, degus, chinchillas, gerbils, hamsters, rats and mice need to chew, though they chew for varying reasons.

Rodents like hamsters, gerbils, rats and mice need to gnaw. Reid likens gnawing to the way a dog scratches an itch, using just its front teeth.

“Chew sticks like Vitakraft Sunseed’s Crunch Stick line are designed not only for nutritional value and vitamin fortification; it gives them an opportunity to chew things that are hard,” Reid said. “Also, these animals need psychological props: toys, wheels and things to chew on all satisfy psychological needs.”

Vitakraft Sunseed’s Yogurt Glazed Crunch Sticks are designed to last, with a natural wood stick in the center. They come in packages of two that include a cage clip. Their All Small Animals Chew Treats come in several forms including Tooth Sticks, Denta Blocks and Chew Twigs.

Marshall Pet Products offers 3-packs of natural pine cones that bear the tag line, “Nature’s Tooth Brush.” Pine cones help satisfy rabbits’ urge to gnaw.

Rabbits, degus and chinchillas don’t gnaw as much as the rodents, but it’s also important for them to have things to chew on to keep their teeth in good shape. When they chew, or masticate, their food, their mouths move from side to side, so they also need to work their molars.

While chew sticks help them shape their front teeth properly, they also need crunchy foods like pellets, and grasses like hay, alfalfa and timothy. These varying textures help maintain healthy tooth structure.

Toy Time

Marshall Pet Products offers several toys made from timothy hay with no dyes, colors or preservatives. The Woven Grass Play Ball and Bunny Chew Ring are healthy, interactive toys that encourage chewing. The Hay Tumbler is a completely edible cardboard toy filled with timothy hay.

Living World Alfalfa Chew-Nels are durable tubes made from alfalfa or cornhusks. They provide interactive play, long-lasting chewing and hiding places for treats.

Many small-animal chews are fortified with vitamins and minerals, so they also contribute to pets’ nutritional needs. Hartz Salt and Mineral Wheels attach to the cage with an included hanger and provide needed nutrition while actively engaging pets.

Hartz Nibble Sticks for gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice come in packages of twelve.

Chewing and gnawing products also contribute to small animals’ psychological well being.

“All small pets need stimulation: things to chew on, toys to play with,” Reid said. “That’s a very important part of their development, so the more things you can do to stimulate them in that environment, the more beneficial it’ll be to the animal.”

Without appropriate chew toys, animals may chew their fur or cage bars.

Marshall’s all-natural Chew Toy With Apple combines psychological enrichment and chewing. Rabbits can roll the wooden toy around their habitat as they chew.

The Living World Teach N Treat Toy is an interactive toy that challenges pets to observe, listen and learn and can be configured for three varying levels of difficulty.

Drs. Foster and Smith offers many interactive chewing toys for small pets.

Carousel Chew Toys are wooden cages shaped like a carrot or an apple. Inside are pieces of colorful, natural loofah. The toys roll while pets attempt to get to the chewy bits. The Knot Nibbler is a colorful tangle of wooden dowels tied around a wooden ball. The brand is committed to providing healthy, affordable pet products.

-Kristen Ryan

Stella & Chewy’s Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

It all started 10 years ago in a New York City apartment that was packed with freezers and boxes of freeze-dried food.

“I started selling to one store, then two, then three,” Marie Moody, the founder and president of Stella & Chewy’s, said. “It slowly kept growing.”

Now, Stella & Chewy’s has grown into a large business with 170 employees, and a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin.

“It’s been really fun and exciting,” Moody said. “I feel like we made some tough decisions in the beginning that were expensive, such as controlling our own manufacturing. I feel like … these hard decisions are the ones that have really set us apart.”

Eventually as the company started gaining steam, Moody outsourced the manufacturing to a production facility. Though, when using a production facility, Moody wasn’t able to control her product as much as she wanted.

“After four years the business was sort of at a point where it was just beef and chicken and I wanted to use more organic ingredients,” Moody said. “I wanted to have control of the manufacturing process before going national. So I opened a plant in Wisconsin in 2007.”

In 2010, the business turned a corner by doing something a lot of companies don’t, she said.

“We took our first price increase on the freeze dried food,” Moody said. “It is a common mistake that people make, they don’t charge enough and are afraid to make the price jump. It really did make a big difference.”

Since then, the company has become a leader in the freeze–dried and frozen food space.

“We want to continue to be the leader in freeze dried food,” Moody said.

Animal Medical Center Doggy Dash

Photo by Sean P. Walkinshaw/brightroom.com

The Aquaphor New York City Triathalon will house the 6th annual Animal Medical Center 5-Mile Doggy Dash at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 14, in Central Park.

The race will start in Central Park, just off the 72nd Street Transverse, west of Cherry Hill and will finish on Dead Road, west of the Bandshell, just off the 72nd Street Transverse.

During the race, 34 dogs and their owners will race to be the first to cross the finish line and win the, “Red Fire Hyrdant” trophy. The 5-mile course includes a mandatory vet check provided by veterinarians and trained technicians from The Animal Media Center for each dog prior to the race, in the middle and once more at the end of the race to help ensure each animal begins and remains healthy throughout the course.

 

Get Smart at Backer’s Total Pet Expo Fall Trade Show

As part of the many changes at Backer’s Total Pet Expo Fall Trade Show, formerly the H.H. Backer Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show, H.H. Backer will hold new, personalized “smart zone” education stations.

These small-group settings are ideal for interacting with experts and other retailers, helping to build and strengthen pet retail and pet-care businesses. Featured tracks include technology, animal health and wellness, marketing/merchandising, finance and aquatics.

Technology

The digital world is constantly changing—are business owners need to be up to speed to remain successful.

Five different topics will be presented throughout the weekend, including “How To Build a Better Website,” “Apps and More for Your Smartphone/Tablet,” “Marketing Your Business Through Social Media,” “How Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Can Bring You More Business” and “From Thick to Thin: Going Paperless.”

Speakers are Gene Sower of Samson Media and Dahlia El Gazzar and Keith Johnson of the Meeting Pool.

Marketing/Merchandising

 Successful companies are always looking for fresh ideas on how to bring in more business, especially in a challenging economy. Expert speakers Vicki Lynne Morgan of Animal Brands, Linda Cahan of Cahan & Co. and Bill Tharp of Playful Parrot will share their expertise in marketing/merchandise on nine different topics.

 Morgan will present “Target Marketing,” “Foundations for Launching a New Business,” “Shopper Marketing,” “Bring in More Customers with Inbound Marketing” and “Guerilla Marketing.” Cahan will present “Putting More Sizzle on Your Sales Floor” and “Top Visual Merchandising Tips.” Tharp will present “Selling More Birds/Bird Products.”

 An additional session entitled “Hot Sellers: Tips for Selling Reptile Products” will also be presented.

Animal Health and Wellness

 With consumers’ increased focus on their pets’ health and well-being, it’s more important than ever for retailers to help their customers make informed choices.

 Session topics include “Top Dog and Cat Nutrition Facts” by Dr. Tim Hunt of Dr. Tim’s Pet Foods; “Tips for Selling All-Natural Products” by Stacy Pyrek of Four Legs Pets; “Healthy Pets/Health Profits” by Krista Wickens of PetZen Products/DogTread; and “Keeping Birds Healthy” by Bill Tharp of Playful Parrot.

 Aquatics

 Sales, training, nutrition and biology are the focus of this year’s aquatic track.  Topics include “How to Sell More Complete Aquarium Setups” by Jeff Turner of Boyd Enterprises; “Dealing with Your Aquariums Biology” by Dr. Tim Hovanec of DrTim’s Aquatics LLC; “Boost Aquatic Sales with a Structured Employee Training Program” by Laurren Schmoyer of NationalAquariumTraining.com; “Selling Ponds and Pond Supplies” by Derek Dunphy of Aquascape Inc.; and “Fish Nutrition” by Les Wilson of Cobalt International.

 Turner also will present “Improving Your Aquarium Maintenance Business,” while Schmoyer also will cover “Powerful Marketing Strategies that Drive Customers to Your Aquatic Store.”

 Finance

 Whether a new business owner or a seasoned industry veteran (or somewhere in between), Backer’s finance track has something worthwhile to offer everyone. All sessions will be presented by longtime Backer show speaker Tom Shay of Profits Plus.

 Session titles are “Basic Financials 101,” “Three Steps to Increasing Your Profit Margin,” “Managing Your Finances in a Challenging Economy” and “How to Get the Most from Your Accountant.”

 More Valuable Advice

 The Pet Store on the Floor area features on-call experts answering attendees’ questions on merchandising tips, POS systems and more. Backer will give away two iPads daily in this area.

Also, PetStorePro will be on hand, presenting information on more than 20 online training courses to help business owners’ employees get up to speed on a wide variety of topics. Presentations will be held twice daily right in the store.

Altogether, more than 60 different time slots are available to accommodate varying attendee schedules as part of the new “smart zone.”

Visit www.totalpetexpo.com/education for a complete schedule, detailed seminar descriptions and speaker biographies. Attendees can also use this webpage to pre-register for specific sessions. Each session is limited to four stores.

 

Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed

From the cover:

From the author of Sorry I Peed On You and Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe comes yet another collection of hilarious and heartwarming letters-this time decoding the quirky minds of supercute kitty cats! In Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed, our furry feline friends finally get to explain to humans why we should be honored when they stick their butts in the air during a back scratch, how lucky we are that they bravely protect us from laser pointers, and why the only social network you truly need is a cat sitting on your computer’s keyboard. This charming, clever and humorously insightful book will allow cat lovers a glimpse into the minds of our cuddly and occasionally cantankerous little kitty friends, who somehow believe that the way to our hearts is by sleeping on our heads.

My review:

Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed is a funny, quick read full of fantastic photographs. Each turn of the page contains a letter from a different kitty and an adorable picture to go along with it. I was grinning throughout the whole book and laughing out loud at times. I had fun sitting and reading this little kitty book and I think other cat lovers will, too. My cats and I give it four paws up!

 

Recommended for:

Cat lovers, anyone needing a laugh, or someone looking for a gift book.

 

About the Author:

Jeremy Greenberg blogs for MSN.com and is a stand-up comedian.

 

Title: Sorry I Barfed On Your Bed (and Other Heartwarming Letters from Kitty)

Author: Jeremy Greenberg

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Publication Date: April 2, 2013

Paperback: 64 pages

ISBN: 978-1-4494-2704-7

Rating: 4 paws

PIJAC Adds New Vice President, Government Affairs

Mike Bober was named the new vice president of government affairs for the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.

“We are delighted that someone of Mike’s caliber would consider joining PIJAC and enhance our efforts to enlarge society’s meaningful relationship with pet animals,” Mike Canning, president and CEO of PIJAC, said. “Mike’s experience in working with various constituencies and focusing the energies of diverse parties towards policy initiatives will benefit PIJAC immensely.”

Bober comes to PIJAC from the National Republican Congressional Committee, where he served as coalitions director. Handling strategic communications, Bober managed the committee’s efforts to engage outside individuals and organizations at the federal and district levels. In addition, he was a key adviser in more than 100 campaigns on outreach efforts, endorsement opportunities, and issue briefings.

“I look forward to working with PIJAC on issues affecting the pet industry at all levels of government,” Bober said. “This is an industry that contributes more than $50 billion to the American economy and I welcome the opportunity to help tell their story.”

Prior to joining the NRCC, Bober served as the executive director of the House Conservatives Fund, a political action committee supported by more than 100 members of Congress. During his tenure at HCF, he was responsible for all aspects of operations, from fundraising and communications to candidate vetting and contributions.

He tripled the Fund’s individual donor rolls, engaged bloggers and activists in more than two dozen districts across the country, and raised more than $1.1 million dollars in the 2008 election cycle. For his efforts at the House Conservatives Fund, he was named a 2008 Rising Star by Campaigns & Elections’ Politics Magazine.

“Mike fits the mold of PIJAC’s quest to enhance member engagement and increase the awareness of the pet industry as to the need for all of us to stick together,” Canning said. “I look forward to working Mike in the years to come.”

Bober will begin at PIJAC on Aug. 1, but will be attending the PIJAC Board Meeting on July 22.

Looking Purrrfect

Pet pampering is reaching new extremes and even cats are getting into the grooming act with stores offering styling services that range from desensitization treatments and chin exfoliations to hot towel wraps and Brazilian fur blow-outs.

Whether customers want their cat to have a lion cut or they are simply learning how to eliminate dandruff with a Dead Sea Salt treatment, it’s obvious that the market for feline pampering is on the rise.

Spas like the Cat’s Meow in California are offering a wide selection of spa treatments performed in private sound-proofed rooms with cat calming pheromones and lavender hydrosols circulated throughout to foster the ultimate in feline relaxation. But if you’re not quite ready for that upgrade, there are many suggestions you can make to your cat-loving customers.

The first rule of grooming a cat is respecting a feline’s tolerance levels. Cat owners now have access to many tools that make grooming a cat simple. ThunderShirt’s patented design applies a gentle, constant pressure that has a dramatic calming effect for most cats. Holistic remedies, such as Rescue Remedy or Feliway, can help reduce stress during grooming.

“The most helpful trick to make grooming sessions fun and enjoyable for both you and your cat is to start early,” Eika Haas, CVT, NCMG and owner of Purrrfet Paws, LLC in Windsor, Colo., said. “The earlier a kitten learns that being handled and manipulated is OK, the better off you, your cat, your groomer and veterinarian will be.”

Most Difficult

“Nail trimming can be the most difficult task of grooming your cat, yet it is the most important,” Haas said. “The claws of a cat collect bacteria that can result in damage not only to your furniture, but also to you. Nail trimming should be done once a month.”

Products like the 3-in-1 Pedicure Set from the Furbuster line by PetMate are excellent as they contain nail clippers, styptic powder and a nail file in one easy-to-use product.

For customers who are not comfortable with monthly cat nail clippings, Soft Claws Nail Caps may be just the thing they need.  Application is as simple as filling a nail cap with adhesive and slipping it onto the nail.

Cats are quite susceptible to skin problems with the most common conditions resulting from infections, flea bites, mites and yeast. Most of these common skin irritants can be easily resolved with natural solutions.

Given that felines are highly sensitive, “DERMagic Feline Skin Rescue lotion offers cats fast and effective relief from skin irritations, hot spots, scaly skin, flea allergies, dermatitis, and dry skin conditions,” Dr. Adelia Ritchie, founder of DERMagic, said.

These all-natural solutions, as well as items like shampoos and in-between bath wipes, also make a great up sells to customers.

“Our Dead Sea Salt Scrub is an excellent up-sell for grooming salons,” Ritchie said. “For only pennies, you can offer your clients a complete spa exfoliation and dandruff treatment.”

For occasional quick cat cleanups, Earthbath offers specialty grooming wipes and waterless shampoos.

“When searching for a shampoo, consider formulas that are free from parabens, dyes or sulfates that are made in the USA,” Yvonne Roth, director of marketing for Earthbath, said. “Our all-natural, human-grade formulas are ultra mild but highly effective. Our ear and nose wipes are particularly useful for easy cleaning and our shampoo foam is designed for cats that prefer to avoid water.”

Coat and Clipping

When selecting grooming equipment, it’s important to choose the right equipment for the job.

“A cat’s skin is very thin and easily tears, which is why it is important to consult with a groomer or veterinarian prior to shaving or removing mats,” Charlene Hibbs, of A Gentle Touch Pet Care Service, said. “Cats also have less ‘time tolerance’ – it is important to get grooming done quickly before they become stressed.”

Alternatives to brushes, such as the PetMate 3-in-1 Grooming Glove, are particularly useful for cats that don’t enjoy grooming. The glove allows easy grooming of difficult to reach or sensitive areas under the shoulder or along belly. Other products, such as the Tender Tips Pin Brush, gently remove mats and tangles, while allowing sensitive felines to become adjusted to grooming.

Oster Animal Care and ShedMonster  Professional De-Shedding Tools are now available from Jarden Animal Solutions. Oster has shared a passion and enthusiasm for pet grooming for over 85 years and offers an extensive line of products for grooming, including cat cologne spray to give a cat that final fresh scent.

“Treating your cat to frequent brushing with gentle deshedding tools will help prevent matting, decrease the amount of fur around the house, support a shiny and healthy coat, and reduce the challenges of hairballs,” Justin Crout, group marketing manager for Jarden Animal Solutions/Jarden Consumer Solutions, said. “The cat cologne spray extends the fresh scent of a clean cat and helps hide odor.”

There are health benefits as well.

According to FURMinator, “up to two-thirds of the hair a cat sheds is ingested during self grooming, resulting in hairballs that are messy, stressful to the cat and the cause of potentially serious problems.”

Regular grooming is important. But if you’re not sure which brush or comb will work best on a specific cat, FURMinator offers an interactive online demo that will assist customers in selecting the best products for their pets.

Different Cats Have Different Needs

A hairless cat may only need quick rub down with a chamois, while a long-haired cat that is prone to matting might benefit from a lion’s cut or daily brushing. Keeping cats well-groomed also reduces visits to the veterinarian and can reduce the need for expensive food to keep hairballs at bay.

-Stacy Mantle

Repetition Is a Bird’s Best Friend

Parrots are extremely social animals and must be able to communicate with the members of their flock. When surrounded by their owners day in and day out, parrots benefit greatly and enjoy learning to speak with them.

Companion Parrot Online Magazine’s Sally Blanchard has years of personal experience training parrots to talk. Her African Grey, Bongo Marie, not only had an extensive vocabulary, but was able to correctly respond to certain questions or statements when prompted.

“Young hand fed parrots may start to mumble human sounds at a few weeks of age,” Blanchard said. “Just as wild parrots learn natural vocalizations from their parents, companion parrots learn to imitate human sounds from their ‘surrogate parents.’”

Similar to other animals, as well as human children, young parrots are extremely impressionable. Learning new behaviors come quickly and easily the younger they are, therefore, speech training should be started early.

“Parrots learn to talk much like small children,” Blanchard said. “When they hear certain words over and over, they start practicing the sounds.”

Educational Tools

Since most bird owners are not able to be home during the day to engage the parrot in speech training sessions,  more and more companies are producing training aids which allow parrots to practice speech while their owners are outside the home.

Training aids for speech are becoming more popular, most commonly CD’s and voice recorders.

Mary Ellen Kaminski of Drs. Foster and Smith recommends the Mimic Me voice recorder and the Teach ‘N Play.

Mimic Me by Prevue Pet allows owners to record their own voice saying words or phrases they want their birds to learn. The tape allows owners to record up to 10 seconds of speech.

It has two settings. Setting “A” plays the recorded word back 12 times every 15 minutes until turned off, while setting “B” plays the word back 12 times every 10 minutes for two hours and then shuts off automatically. Once the bird has learned the words on the tape, the Mimic Me device makes it easy to delete the previous words and record new ones.

Using the Mimic Me aids in training, allows for the expansion of a bird’s vocabulary to 100s of words, while providing the comfort of hearing the owner’s voice when they are not around. It is beneficial for an owner’s parrot to hear their voice, as it reduces confusion during one-on-one training sessions.

Another recorded training aid is the Teach ‘N Play. This toy has four buttons with the pre-recorded phrases “hello,” “I love you,” “hahahaha” and “calling all birds.” The Teach ‘N Play has a tough outer case made of hard plastic which prevents cracking and is easy to clean.  Blinking lights, which go off when the speech buttons are pushed, engages and stimulates and rewards the bird.

DVD’s and CD ROM’s are also highly affective and popular training tools for both owner and bird.

“Train Your Parrot to Talk” is a DVD which features professional bird trainer Barbara Heidenreich educating owners about why parrots speak and how to train them to do it correctly. The DVD includes a bonus CD ROM, which includes recordings of various species vocalizing to assist parrots to speak.

“These (CD’s and voice recording toys) are wonderful tools to reinforce what you teach during a session when you cannot be with your bird,” Emily Schmale, corporate communications manager for Pet Mate, said. “Birds will practice what they have learned throughout the day.”

Whether it is a CD featuring the voices of other birds or a voice recording of your own, these training aids are highly effective when teaching parrots human speech.

“A CD or recording of your voice is a wonderful way to remind them of the proper sound and tone,” Schmale said. “Repetition is a bird’s friend.”
Practice makes perfect, but one-on-one training sessions are still most effective since parrots are a social species and learn best with human interaction. During training, reinforcement for correct behavior is of the utmost importance.

“Just as small children need an adult to listen carefully to pick up what the child is trying to say, young parrots also need a human to reinforce the words they are trying to learn and teach them to say the words correctly,” Blanchard said.

Commonly, reinforcement comes in the form of food or treats.

“Treats are a way of rewarding your bird. The following treats are the perfect size or can be easily broken into smaller sizes for rewarding” Kaminski said.

Drs. Foster and Smith’s Harrison’s Power treats are great to use during training because they are easily broken into smaller pieces for quick reinforcement of correct behavior. Harrison’s Power treats provide energy using ingredients such as Brazilian red palm fruit oil, sunflower seeds and alfalfa.

Both practice and reward are important pieces of successful training, but it is just as important to make sure owners have the full attention of their parrot and vice versa.

Teaching one-on-one also makes it easier to reward correct behavior quickly.

“Make sure to teach one bird at a time,” Kaminski said. “This is made easy with the use of a playstand or a product like the new Percher.”

The Percher from Caitec, is portable and can be configured in seven different ways to accommodate any training environment. It is suited for birds of all sizes and makes training simple and more personal for the bird.

Using a combination of voice recording training aids, one-on-one speech training sessions using a favorite food reward and a perch or play stand to guarantee undivided attention, owners will have a talking companion in no time.

“With affectionate interactive training, most talking parrots with easily learn to respond with verbal cues and verbal phrases,” Blanchard said.

-Erin Salley

Heavy Lifting

Pet grooming is hard work, no doubt about it.

Investing in high quality tools that make that work easier is both good common sense and an excellent business practice. One basic tool that is sometimes overlooked as stylists choose to upgrade their equipment, is the grooming table.

Most every groomer needs a platform to keep pets safe and elevated while they work on them. Over the years grooming tables have evolved to suit the specific needs of the industry, and save groomers’ backs in the process.

“Let your table do the lifting,” Jeanne Caples, of Forever Stainless, said. “Any groomer needs an adjustable-height table. Ergonomically, it just makes sense. When choosing a table, whether foot-pump hydraulic or electric, ask how high and how low will it go, get the dimensions of the working surface area and find out what the tabletop surface is made of. Ideally, you want your table to adjust to the heights best for you, remain steady as you work, be durable and easy to maintain, and be safe for you and your client pets.”

Originally, tables designed for groomers were stationary affairs, sturdy with a non-slip top. The first adjustable tables were introduced by Pet Lift. They used a hydraulic chair base designed for the beauty industry and put a table top on it. This was wildly innovative at the time.

“It was so successful that we still make a similar model to this day,” Steve Apatow, president of Pet Lift, said. “However, this type of table has a center shaft, and the movement from very large dogs can cause it to wobble. Another drawback is that the hydraulic pump is located on the shaft, limiting how far the table can be lowered. Pet Lift and other companies have developed newer designs that offer a scissor or ‘z’ base, giving greater stability as well as the ability for the table to go very low; some models can be as close as 6” to the floor.”

Hydraulic or Electric?

Hydraulic tables are human powered. The stylist operates a foot lever to raise the table, and then depresses the lever to lower the table. They are typically less expensive to purchase than electric tables which are powered by, yes, electricity.

A mere touch of a button offers smooth and effortless movement. Many groomers find that the convenience of push button motion is worth the extra cost.
Beyond the basic choices of hydraulic or electric movement, keep an eye out to see what other options there are to choose from, as more innovations continue to be available.

Eda Arafat has developed something totally new to the industry.

“The Viper Grooming Table is designed to accommodate people with all types of aches and pains, injuries or handicaps,” Arafat said. “Intended to aid groomers with the heavy, difficult to handle dogs, and those with hip and knee issues, this table has a built in, one of a kind, pet control arm.

“The primary benefits of these features are to control the pet and allow the groomer to save anywhere from 30 percent to 40 percent of the grooming time. Just as importantly the arm helps to reduce the wear and tear on the groomer from having to physically keep the pet standing and maintain control while being worked on.”

What are some other options available when shopping for a new table?

Some, such as the Edemco F900, boast illuminated tops designed to help groomers see the undercarriage of the pet more clearly. Others, like the Wahl Professional Grooming Center, offer a wealth of nooks and hooks to keep grooming tools safely stowed yet at your fingertips while you work.

Other tables, such as the Hanvey Elevator boast sturdy casters so the table can be rolled right over to the bathing area, eliminating the need to lift the dog from table to tub; pets go for a ride then step in for their bath. If you like to stay in one place while you work, consider a table with a top that rotates.

“I’ve worked in shops with inferior quality tables,” Sean Dowling, owner and groomer at Sean Patrick’s Pet Spa in Maryland, said. “They don’t last long and begin to look decrepit. When I opened my own spa I understood the importance of buying quality equipment. I invested in Forever Stainless tables and they still look and work like they did the day I bought them. They have a padded top that makes the dogs feel comfortable and secure, and all of this makes my job so much easier.”

Hydraulic and electric tables are an investment, but one that should last for many years. This is an item that one should not scrimp on.

“Be realistic as to how hard this table needs to work and how long you plan to use it,” Caples said. “If you and the table are in for a long, productive relationship, it needs to serve you well and not become an annoyance, a hazard or a source of frustration. Having a great table to work on every day can really make a difference in how you work and how you feel.”

Sourced From Nature

There’s a reason why people refer to their pets as fur babies in online forums and even everyday conversation. These lovable creatures are as much a part of the family as kids for most people.

Therefore, pet owners are likely to pay as much attention to what’s going into their new puppy’s mouth as they would to what is going into their baby’s mouth, and that translates into buying organic.

According to a recent survey from the Organic Trade Association, 8 in 10 parents report purchasing organic products. While the research wasn’t conducted on pet owners as well, there’s no denying that the organic market is growing overall.

Whether it’s food, clothes or toys, people are paying more attention to what their pets eat, play with and just come into contact with on a daily basis. Total organic sales were up almost 10 percent in 2010, according to the OTA.

Organic and all-natural toys are an important category for retailers to pay attention to. After all, it’s not just food that gets into a pets’ systems. The toys they carry around and chew on often get ingested, too.

“Our pets are like the canary in the coal mine,” Pam Wheelock, owner of Purrfect Play, said. “They’re on the ground, walking on Teflon, people are petting them with lotions and perfumes on their hands, they’re coming into contact with chemicals constantly.”

Because of this, many manufacturers have turned to making toys out of organic and all-natural materials to help reduce the amount of harmful chemicals our pets are exposed to in their lifetimes.

“For me, it’s all about the raw materials and starting out with good quality,” Carol Perkins, owner of Harry Barker, said. “It might be more challenging finding the materials, but making sustainable products is just inherent in my DNA, and I think the challenge is part of the fun.”

Fabric of Our Lives

Whether it’s organic cotton or hemp grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals, the basic elements of squeaky and rope toys can be found for manufacturers of organic and all-natural toys.

Harry Barker has been selling hemp toys since Perkins started making the first simple bone on her kitchen table.

“I love hemp because it’s mildew resistant and anti-fungal, and it’s a tough, sturdy material,” Perkins said.

While the rope is a classic for this company, they’re always introducing new designs. The latest is the seaside collection, with alligators, starfish and seahorses. Purrfect Play also has two new lines of hemp toys hitting the market this summer. A carrot shape filled with organic catnip is designed to appeal to cats.

Organic cotton lends itself to soft plush toys, great for smaller dogs that like to carry their toys around. PetFlys, out of Burbank, Calif., produces a line of toys called Knit Knacks that are hand-crocheted from organic cotton. Whether you prefer animals or cartoon characters, there’s something for everyone with 25 different colorful shapes to choose from.

“The great thing about these toys is they are soft enough to appeal to pets, but the threads are tough enough to be long lasting and make excellent natural tooth cleaners,” said Jana Ritter, marketing director of PetFlys.

Wool also makes a great material for creating dog toys.

A Cheerful Pet in Norma, N.J., produces products made from 100 percent all-natural wool from New Zealand. The boiled wool is molded into shapes including rings, balls, animals and bones, and appeal to both cats and dogs.

Making It Appealing

While there are some people who are already seeking out organic toys, many consumers just come into the store looking for something to entertain their pets.

“At the end of the day, while healthy choices are important, how a product is presented to the customer is probably even more important at getting sales,” Jean Chae, director of product development and sales at Simply Fido, in Brooklyn, N.Y., said.

Chae’s family has been in the toy business for over 40 years. About 10 years ago, after her mother won a battle with cancer, they changed their production to make only organic toys. It was only natural to launch an organic line for pets.

“Pets are our family too, and if we want good products for our children, we want the same for our pets,” Chae said.

At Simply Fido they work really hard to make designs that are visually appealing, with soft, plush animals and bones. They use dyes that have a low environmental impact, and the toys are made with the same process used for dying baby clothes.

“We pay a lot of attention to details in our design,” Chae said.

Getting Into Rubber

Many rubber pet toys are a synthetic material made with a petro-chemical process. Rubber pet toys are the fastest growing type of toy, showing an 11 percent growth rate from 2008 to 2010, according to the American Pet Products Association survey.

This growth hasn’t been lost on manufacturers of all-natural toys. Both Simply Fido and Harry Barker are coming out with lines of rubber toys this summer.

“We wanted to do something new, so after looking around and doing our research, we found that people love rubber toys,” Chae said. “Ours will be 100 percent pure rubber toys with no additives. You won’t get that white powder residue on your hands that you get from rubber with additives.”

Harry Barker’s rubber toys were inspired by Perkins’s recent trip to France. After falling in love with the tassel shape on the key bob for her hotel room, she decided to use that same design for a toy that you can stuff.

“I’m excited to be launching into the rubber world,” Perkins said.

Her toys will be 72 percent natural rubber, and the rest of the compounds are natural as well.

“It’s the highest content we found to be effective,” she said. “It’s durable, tossable, tuggable and stuffable.”

Making the Sale

As with any product, educating yourself and your sales staff on the materials and benefits of organic and all-natural toys is key to helping them fly off the shelf.

“Once people are educated and know the benefits of these natural materials free of harmful chemicals, they’re more likely to spend a little more,” Halle Kearns, vice president of sales for Harry Barker, said.
Merchandising is important as well. Many manufacturers provide creative displays to help sell their products, from a coconut shell full of hemp carrots from Purrfect Play to an egg carton stuffed with KnitKnacks from Pet Flys.

Use creative placement in the store to get these products in front of customers as well. Putting a display of organic toys next to your organic dog food will help customers realize that it’s not just food going in their dog’s mouth, and these toys are a great way to continue the healthy, environmentally friendly values through to a new product category.

– Karen M. Alley

Sturdi Products Celebrates 20th Anniversary

One good idea led to 20 years of successful solutions for those traveling with cats and small dogs.

Richard van Engers, the founder and CEO of Sturdi Products, was driving by a vet clinic when he saw a woman carrying a box. The bottom fell out and a cat fell out. Over the front of the vet clinic was an awning that was about the shape of what the future Sturdi bag would be.

“He sewed his first one at home, and he didn’t even know how to sew,” Penny Johnson, executive vice president of Sturdi Products, said. “Eventually he had a very small amount produced by local sewers and home sewers and would take them to cat shows. People loved them.”

At the time, there were not a lot of options for carrying animals. But the trait that made van Enger so popular, was his customer service.

“Every show he would go to, he would listen to everyone that came that had different idea changes for his products,” Johnson said. “He would listen to those ideas and if he thought they were good enough, he would make those changes.”

All of their products are hand sewn and they have to be done very carefully, she explained.

“You have to know what you are doing and you have to be good at what you’re doing,” Johnson explained about the production process.

The reason Sturdi Products has been successful, and why they will continue to be successful, Johnson said, is because they never forget about their customers.

“Rich now-a-days continues to listen to every customer at shows and listens to their ideas,” Johnson said. “We really do want to make our customers happy. If they have a problem with our product then we see what we can do to it to make them happy. We will fix it, replace it, whatever they need.”

She added, “We need to continue to listen to our customers and to create a quality, safe and attractive product for our customers that helps decrease stress on the animal and owner during traveling. We cut down on the stress of the traveling pet owners by producing products that work.”