Innovative Pet Toys

By Richard Lamb

Richard@e-commrece.nl

PETS International Magazine (ISSUE 2,2004)

Trendwatcher Richard Lamb compares the Pet Toys used in the good old days with more recent fancy Pet Toys. Although the level of innovation is a little disappointing and there certainly is a chance for the Industry, he still found some catching examples.

Batteries not included

I remember a time when dogs enjoyed themselves with a simple bone and cats went crazy by playing with a ball of wool. Nowadays we have to entertain our pets just like our kids. Our children play with interactive videogames, watch video clips at MTV and own a dozen of noisy and flashing toys all equipped with batteries.

And now even pet-toys more and more need electrical power. Although there are still a few toys who can do without…

The status for innovative Dog Toys

As a starter：when you walk the dog, he or she is the coolest dog on the block by wearing sunglasses. Comfortable, secure, and easily adjustable to fit. These sunglasses don't have the standard "ear-piece" like human sunglasses. They fit perfectly on dogs around the upper neck, and under the ears. They do not easily come off. What a relief!

Well, what kind of toys does a dog use during the rest of the day anno 2004? The original bone has been replaced by something like a plush "Bungee Bone" which can stretch from 21＂to 38＂and includes a squeaker in each end. This is a great toy but I prefer the "Jungle Bone". With this unique bone your dog is up with the latest trends.

The bone in jungle prints has colourfast-dyed prints for machine wash and dry. Wonder if that really is an Unique Selling Point?!

The status for innovative Cat Toys

The ball of wool for cats is nowadays replace by the "Zig-n-Zag" ball, which has a weight inside to create an unpredictable zig-zag ball. Your cat will love it . Did you already experience the "mouse-N-cheese"? you have to squeeze the plunger to make a fake mouse pop out of cheese. Your cat will play hide and seek with you, Enjoy your day! Looking for more flashing goys? Get a "Laser toy" is in the shape of a cute bug. Just press a button to project the strong red laser beam. You can imagine how cats will react. An alternative is the "Flashing Ball" that contains a motion-sensitive blinking light, bell, and yarn tail. Once activated, the ball will continue to blink in 25 second intervals until the motion stops. Offers 12,000 cycles of blinking fun! Cats can play for hours with "Thing in a Bag". It seems to be alive, the bag toy is durable, claw and bite resistant. Inside the bag are crinkly sounding materials and a randomly-activated motion that makes the "thing" come alive to intrigue and entertain your cat.

Sleep in Cyberspace

When your cat is exhausted of playing with all these innovative toys he or she can take a nap on a very tall "cat Tree House". Maybe your cat will prefer the "Cat Tree House". Maybe your cat will prefer the "Cat Cyber Station". Yes, all around the world cats are migrating to the tops of computer monitors. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Cats love to be up where they can see their surroundings, they love warm spots and most of all they love to be close to you. The problem up until now has been that unfortunately most monitors aren's as user friendly to kittens as they might be. This is where the "Cat Cyber Station" comes in. Simply mount this tool on top of your monitor and invite your cat to stay there.