pampered pets

Who says Labor Day marks the figurative end of Summer?! Certainly not me, as I'm trying to squeeze in a few more weekends of fun in the sun with my pooch, who is a big fan of bringing the outdoors in (on his paws and coat). This crate cover turns my ordinary living room into cabana central.

With two contrasting panels, the crate cover ($95) even comes with the rollup door often spotted beachside — and North needs to nap in peace . . . on the matching pillow bed ($115), of course. Are you craving this style or will you stick to creating blanket tents in your household?

Aww, what did that adoro fluffy animal ever do to you?! I'm betting this clever shirt got its name based on the common letters between Maltese and machine, but still I've got nothing but love for the teacup pups. (If rage involves chasing and licking, North has a lot of that . . . toward most breeds!)

Regardless, rockin' company Rockstar Puppy recently tweeted about its new tees, and I had to check 'em out. I'm loving this one best but they've got bands of all genres. If you have any other musically inspired group/breed names or song suggestions, "Whippet good" and share in the comments below.

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I took along my "go-bag" when I left a previous job where all employees received this handy emergency kit we (thankfully) never needed. The handiest thing about it was its fairly small size with everything packed in.

Little did I know they make similar things for pets! There's one for cats ($55) or dogs ($55) and a variety for other home and office uses. What strikes me about the cat one is the folding litter box — pretty genius. All you need to do is grab some of your pal's favorite food and treats, since that could spoil, and you're good to go in a flash. Would you prepare for the worse and pick up one of these kits . . . or stock it on your next road trip?

I've got vacation on the brain so when I spotted cheekily named dog beds, I imagined myself hitting up one of these spots with North resting alongside.

I love the color palettes used for the Blueblood products — they'll leave you green with envy and red in the face that they don't make them in human sizes!

The full bed/cover set runs $105-$210 but, for those Molly Mutt stuff sack fans, you can also purchase just the pretty covers for $76-$150. In addition to these lovely resting spots, they've got adorable collars and leashes, but I
only wish they'd add harnesses to their lineup next!

Well, these dishes have four propped feet so I guess the name Dogleg Diner ($98) is appropriate, but I still imagine a soda fountain with pups on roller skates. OK, that's just me. Anyway, coming in four powder-coated steel colors, these solid stands will hold up to even those vigorously greedy gobblers.

With a small size holding one quart and a medium with two, they'll work for cats and big dogs since the height ranges from about five to 10 inches tall. Surely this would be up to your kitchen's high-design standards — but is the dollar amount too pricey for your recession budget?

Back in 1984, a designer by the name of Norman Earl created the aptly-named Soda Bottle Bird Feeder ($15). The cast zinc contraption seen on the right is an eco-tastic solution — simply fill any two-liter plastic jug with seed to feed chickadees, robins, and other birds that favor hanging feeders. Better yet, it solidly screws on to keep those unwanted four-legged pests guests like squirrels out of the flutter's dining establishment.

A dog's gotta eat and Magemono lets him do so in style. Peep these pretty pet feeders — both the Single ($45 and $83) and Double ($90 and $130) feature curved legs and wood veneer tops, they surely don't sacrifice form for function.

The stands have antislip cushioned feet for no floor scratches and the removable, dishwasher-safe bowls are free of lead and sturdy enough to stay in . . . even for overly zealous chompers and slurpers. Now if only the pups would learn how to refill and clean it on their own. Ahh, a girl can dream anyway.