The pet industry seems to be virtually recession proof. According to a report from the Global Pet Expo, Americans spent $43 billion on pet food, supplies, medicine and veterinary care in 2008. Dogs and cats are by far the most common pets, and companies have expanded the selection of items that doubles as furniture and a pet item.
Locally, PetSmart, 3133 S. Veterans Parkway, carries the MidWest line of dog crates that function as furniture and a pet enclosure, and they also carry the Merry Pet Cat Washroom Night Stand Pet House. Water Proof Junction Box
MidWest manufactures a cherry-wood cover that can be slipped over a dog crate. That makes your dog’s doggy den function as an end table, sofa table or free-standing centerpiece. It allows for changeable door access and it has a sliding pan for easy cleaning.
Orvis, www.orvis.com, has plastic crates that have a rattan-looking finish in either brown or buttermilk if that’s better with an individual’s décor. The finish is water resistant, and the floor is “easy clean,” but it’s not recommended for dogs that chew. While MidWest has a metal crate inside the enclosure, the Orvis crates are faux rattan with metal bars.
They do have a larger wood frame over a metal crate option as well as several other finishes.
Some of the premier doggy crate furniture is sold by DenHaus, www.denhaus.com. They have indoor doggy dens marketed under the TownHaus, ZenHaus and BowHaus lines and they match decors from Arts and Crafts to minimalist.
The TownHauses are functional side tables or end tables. They come in either espresso or mahogany finishes and have paneled sides and removable doors.
The ZenHaus’s are more art deco. Sleek and modern, the round ZenHaus is made of shatterproof fiberglass and it has multiple side vents. It has an opaque, shatterproof glass top that allows light in and it looks like a high-end side table.
Available in red, black, white and mint, the ZenHaus is also popular with our cat friends, according to the Web site.
The BowHaus is truly the top dog of doggy furniture.Constructed of powder-coated steel, the round BowHaus is suitable for cocktails and canines. It features a high-tech sleek design with an eye-catching side design that also serves as a vent.
Pets Best Products at www.hiddenlitter.com offers pet furniture also suitable for dogs and cats. It is possible to hide a litter box in a large round plastic “flower pot” with changeable “plant” top options. The plastic pots come in sandstone, terra cotta or stone coat finishes, a variety of colors and different styles.
The discreet entrance can be turned to the side or the back so kitty can have some privacy.
The same planter arrangement is available for a dog bed although some canines might take offense to sleeping in a plastic planter with a decorative fern on top.
Pet Smart’s Merry Pet Cat Washroom Night Stand Pet House is the multi-tasker of pet furniture. The white night stand, or end table if that’s a décor match, fits the cat box and there’s handy shelf space as well as a towel rack.
Power Extension Cable Kathleen Ostrander can be reached at 747-1296.