The Muttropolis Blog

What We're Loving: Personalized Pet Book Helps Shelter Pets

Buy the Book - 100% of Proceeds Help Shelter Pets!

Following her passion as a lover of kids and animals, Jan Krystkowiak wondered how she could combine literacy, kids and pets – and found her answer with WhereInTheWorldBooks.com – personalized pet books that allow you to integrate your dog or cat’s breed, name and photo into the story! Jan came up with the idea after reading studies on personalization which indicated that reading and vocabulary improve substantially when children read materials with their name embedded in them. 

A supercharged go-getter with five kids and three dogs, Jan more than holds down the domestic fort while her husband, New Jersey Nets assistant NBA coach Larry Krystkowiak, is away. In fact, in January 2010, shortly after the earthquake in Haiti, Jan Krystkowiak and friends shipped 20,000 pounds of clothes, teddy bears, soccer balls and other goods to the devastated country and then traveled to Haiti where they spent 10 days helping out where they could.

Paying it Forward: 100% of Proceeds to Benefit Petfinder.com!

Starting now and through the holidays, in honor of adopt a shelter pet month and in the spirit of giving back, Jan and Where in the World Books is going to give 100% of all proceeds from her books to our friends at Petfinder.com Foundation -  the virtual home of 352,660 adoptable pets from 13,583 adoption groups.

Knowing how much my 4 year old nephew, Colton, loves his Yellow Lab, Zoe, I ordered a personalized book from Where in the World books and now have a darling book featuring not only my nephew’s name throughout the book, but also his furry pal Zoe!  It even features a spot in the front of the book where I was able to write a personalized dedication and upload a photo of Zoe.

Why not personalize your own book for friends or family and help shelter pets at the same time! Available in both English and Spanish, there are 25 dog breeds and six cat breeds to choose from. Better yet, you can enter in the Promo Code: TAILS at checkout for an additional 10% off your entire order. Don't forget, the holidays are right around the corner!

Learn more at WhereintheWorldBooks.com

 

Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

Here Kitty, Kitty! New iPhone App Rallies Stubborn Cats

 

Good news for anyone who has ever had difficulty luring their cat out from under a bed, up a tree, from under the car or anywhere else! A cat-loving University professor from Indiana and two of his students have developed Here Kitty, Kitty! -  a feline-friendly iPhone (and iPad) application that provides a creative and fun way to help you find your lost (...or stubborn) cat. 

Available on iTunes, Here Kitty, Kitty! provides a fun way for users to attract their cats with familiar sounds that will bring the feline around when they don't come when called. It features the sounds of a cat meowing, a man calling a cat and an electric can opener readying a can of kitty nom-noms.

Here Kitty, Kitty! just launched a few weeks ago and so the App reviews are limited, but the few that do exist on the site are very positive. Let me know if it works for your cat!

Need help getting your dog to come? Check out our review of the Dog Whistler iPhone App!

Must Have: Lollycadoodle Boiled Wool Dog + Cat Toys

Eco-friendly Groovy Shrooms

Colorful, durable and naturally attractive to dogs and cats, thanks to the special wooly scent derived from the natural oils of wool fleece, these darling toys are made without poly-fill or squeakers so you can be sure they're safe and will be completely biodegradable after your pet is done with them. Which, based on extensive field-testing, will take a very long time!

Dishwasher Safe

If your pet's toadstool starts to look a bit tired, simply refresh the toy by popping it into the top rack of your dishwasher and dry in the sun!

Starting at $11, find these vibrant, magical mushroom pet toys at Muttropolis.com

Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

The Crazy Cat Lady Game

You indeed can have too many cats and still be a winner.

After taking in a healthy dose of music (and mud!) at the Austin City Limits music festival recently, my comrades and I enjoyed wandering Austin's fabulously quirky boho 'hood of South Congress, or SoCo.  It was there that we stumbled across the ridonkulously weird and wacky shop Monkey See, Monkey Do and discovered, among other things, The Crazy Cat Lady Game.

In this riveting board game you attempt to collect more cats than your fellow competitors as you, The Crazy Cat Lady, head out into the world (and around the board) to run some errands. On your journey you might visit the Pet Store, the Supermarket, the Vet or the Animal Shelter. But no matter where you go, you must be on the look out for more cats! Your ultimate objective is to possess the most cats when the Crazy Cat Lady returns back home. Gain more cats by landing on spaces like "Save a Cat Stuck in a Tree" and "Rescue Grumpy Old Cat From Pound." But watch out for spaces that take cats from you like "Beware of Dog" and "Kitten Distracted by Bit of Fluff." The Crazy Cat Lady Game is fantastic feline fun for the whole family.

Find The Crazy Cat Lady Game at either Monkey See, Monkey Do or online at ArchieMcPhee.com.

courtesy of The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

A Mutt-Stache? Introducing The Humunga Stache Dog Toy

Now even your pooch can sport a 'stache and go in-dog-nito.

If your dog secretly envies Bearded Collies, Schnauzers or any other dog breeds with excessive facial hair  - then their prayers have been answered. New from Moody Pet, the makers of the original Humunga Tongue dog toy, comes the newest in ridiculous mutt must-have's: The Humunga Stache dog toy. This shiny black toy features a durable, solid black natural rubber ball on one end and a giant cartoon mustache on the other.

With the holidays just around the corner, why not have your pooch sport his or her Humunga Stache during your annual holiday family photo? This way, Uncle Chester won't be the only one in the pic with the creepy mustache.

The concept behind the dog toy is that like the photo, dogs will naturally pick up the rubber ball ... leaving the handlebar mustache sticking out. Priced at $15, pick one up at Muttropolis.com and add some low-cost laughs to your frequent frolics with Fido this holiday!

courtesy of The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

It Was Just a Matter of Time: The Snuggie for Dogs

Fresh from the "Seriously!? Seriously." files, and just when you thought the Snuggie (or Slanket) had gone the way of the pet rock, brace yourself: Introducing the Snuggie for Dogs. Yes, you heard right, the Snuggie for Dogs.

Now your dog can be both warm and comfortable on the couch while being able to take a quick trip to the local dog park without having to take their blanket off. Its also a great gift idea for dogs who are Lord of the Rings enthusiasts and want to achieve the 'Gandalfy' look or who perhaps practice Buddhism. As well, given it's made of 100% synthetic mystery-material, the static charge generated by the Snuggie for Dogs can likely turn your dog into a super uber lint-roller and/or dust-bunny collection device. You'll never need to dust or vacuum your floors again.

As I understand it, the idea behind the original Snuggie is that it is essentially a blanket with sleeves and is open in the back, akin to a hospital gown. That said, the Snuggie for Dogs, as seen in the video on their site, is not "open in the back" but instead utilizes velcro closures to keep it on the dog. Call me crazy, but doesn't that make this something otherwise known a "dog coat?"

Regardless, you still need to watch the ridiculous video. Reason being, I had to watch it twice before believing that it was not a gag. This is an actual bona fide product....SRSLY. Enjoy!

Article reprint courtesy of The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley at Animal Planet.com

Dog-proof Trash Can: And it was all yellow

 

There's nothing like returning home from a fun night out to find yesterday’s coffee grounds, orange rinds, fish skins and other unsavory discards spread across the kitchen floor with Jackson Pollock flair. When you find yourself faced with this situation, your dog can typically be found either 1) skulking around in the darker recesses of your home, or 2) joyfully greeting you at the door as if none of it ever happened.

After the requisite pulling of your hair and retrieval various treasures from beneath the couch, calm down and consider getting yourself a kick-ass, ironclad trashcan (and maybe some training too).

The happiest darn trash can you ever did see

Originally designed in 1939, this super durable stainless steel Vipp Trash Bin is hand-crafted by skilled craftsmen and consists of up to 42 components. The tight fitting lid can keep curious noses out and trash smells in. Very likely one of the happiest-looking trash cans you’ll ever see, it is available in a range of sizes and colors, and is great for use in the bathroom, kitchen, workspace or living space. A removable inner bin makes changing out the bags easy and a roll of biodegradable liners is included.

Find the Vipp Trash Bin at Design Within Reach.

Article reprint courtesty of The Daily Treat at Animalplanet.com

When you care enough to send the very best: Say it with Panda Poo

Leave no man-ure behind

While on a recent trip to Orlando Florida, I popped into a new boutique, Earth Inspired Living, in the charming town of Winter Park. A gift and home accessories store dedicated to great design with a commitment to conserve the environment. Their carefully selected and elegantly displayed products are all made from recycled, reclaimed, organic and sustainable materials designed to enlighten and surprise. And surprise they did, when I found some darling note cards made completely of Panda Poop.

Yes the note cards pictured at right are actually made out of real, Grade A Panda poop. Eco-friendly and innovative, these darling stationary products are 100% recycled, odorless (good to know) and quite lovely for a piece of poo.

Prefer Pachyderm poop? Good news for you! These products also come in Dumbo dung.

Handmade in Thailand, this papier de poop is created via collection and processing of Panda poo ‘pulp' collected from Giant Pandas in China. Natural and quite lovely for a piece of poo, this unique stationery is 100% recycled, odorless and sure to be a hit with anyone who loves recycling and/or potty humor...which pretty much describes

Get the scoop on this poop by visiting either Earth Inspired Living  or  uncommongoods.com

Blog reprint courtesy of AnimalPlanet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley