Accessories for dogs and cats: useful or just fashion?
If you are already a pet owner, you know the password – simplicity and making sure that our puppy is comfortable yet stylish and trendy.
Extravagant, colorful, fun. For some time now, pet accessories have had their own well-defined slice of the market, which offers lines of clothing, accessories for walks and objects. Not everyone agrees, however, on what is actually useful, useless or even harmful in this matter.
Pet clothing: what is good and what to avoid?
Generally the ‘simple’ is always preferred. Many animals don’t need anything, but some raincoats for longer coats can be useful in winter. The important thing is the simplicity of the garment, that is something that does not bother and that can be put on and taken off easily, avoiding excessively intrusive manual skills for our animal.
It should also be noted that if there are animals that do not tolerate being dressed, it would be appropriate to respect their will. Keep in mind, there are many organizations for animal rights like PETA, that are constantly pushing for strict legislations regarding animals. Having made these universal premises, on this issue most of people are absolutely against it. However, when you have a very small dog at home and take it outside in winter, you often feel safer in putting on something that protects it from temperature changes (house / outside), cold and rain.
Padded kennel and bowls
The padded kennel or padded beds where dogs can rest, are they really useful?
Surely many animals find it extremely comfortable – Regarding its usefulness. Especially for heavy breeds, whose physical structure, together with the hardness of the floor, easily predisposes to the onset of pressure calluses. Many owners also use it a lot for older animals, to make them rest better. In general, however, most dogs like it.
Moving on to bowls instead for water, there are also alternatives on the market, namely drinking fountains that ensure a continuous flow “on demand”. But are they really useful? The fountains are preferred for cats who ethologically prefer to drink like this. In dogs, there are no peculiarities whatsoever, if it is still possible to administer fresh and clean water with the bowl. Conversely, it is better to rely on the fountains.
Walking with leashes or harness?
Another essential accessory is the leash. But it also exists in different versions, such as the bib. What are the criteria for choosing the most suitable accessory for different sizes of dogs? The harness is for small animals, who often suffer from defects in the anatomical conformation of the trachea. For all the others, you can easily choose based on your comfort and on what puts the animal most at ease
Toiletries and similar. What are the indispensable ones?
Just like the pet owner likes stylish hair, we have to take care of our pets’ appearances. If we wash our animals at home, it is good to use dog shampoo once a month. For the daily toilet, special wipes can be useful, to be used when needed and without exceeding. Use it for the paws if necessary, avoiding the mantle, with exceptions. Finally, brushes are very important to remove foreign bodies, old hair (especially in the now frequent moults) and sometimes, why not, to relax our animals. Each breed and each animal has its favorite, but in general, let’s remember to buy non-traumatic brushes and, in cats, gloves for hair care are very useful.
Hygienic mats and odor neutralizers, when do we need to buy them?
Hygienic mats are comfortable in small animals that often go to their homes rather than outside; as well as in the elderly who sometimes find it difficult to hold back their needs. The same goes for puppies, who have yet to learn how to behave. Obviously they are useful in all cases of disease or interventions, that is when our animals need to have a comfortable and close place where to carry them out.
Turning instead to “tooth games”, are they really useful?
Most puppies have a tendency to nibble on everything in the house and it is easier to distract them by giving them the appropriate bite toys. The important thing is that they are purchased in pet shops and that they comply with the law. Despite this, remember to remove them if they begin to wear out or break, to prevent our animals from ingesting small pieces!
