Are Dogs More Fashion Conscious Than Cats?

One day with way too much time on my hands, I discovered a website ostensibly about clothes for overweight cats, which prompted me to wonder why one would want to dress any cat. Anyone with a cat knows that cats are finicky. Sorry. Did I say finicky? Petal, (my adopted cat), is outraged at the suggestion. She claims that she is neither fastidious nor pernickety. Just particular. Fido might be just dandy parading around in a crocheted mango sweater with faux fur trim, but Petal would rather eat supermarket kibble 20 days straight on a plastic dish. Yes. A plastic dish. Petal's serious. So the answer to my initial query is a short one. We don't dress cats, because they won't let us. I tried. I can't even get within 20 feet of Petal with a four-legged quilted wrap coat even if it's zero degrees outside. Cats have more sense than to go out in zero degree weather. That's why there are cat beds and catnapper window perches .  If you are thinking of rescuing a cat from your local animal shelter, please rescue it from shame by not dressing him or her.

Particular they may be, but anyone who has seen a cat wake up and stretch for hours knows that cats are also flexible. They are willing to negotiate. For some wet food, a ball of string and a little one on one play action with a pole feather toy a cat will compromise. Not much, mind you. We're still talking about cats here. Cats are now making public appearances with antlers and Santa hats. Perhaps it is the holiday season bringing out their softer side. Or maybe it was the annual cat convention (to which Petal was not invited), but cats can now be seen dozing by the window in red velvet floppy headdresses with white cotton trim. But even a move like that takes some courage. The most generous cat will not tolerate a pair of antlers for more than a couple of hours. Did I say hours? That may have been minutes.

Could this explain the plethora of dog sweaters, coats, booties, pajamas and other apparel that we see for dogs? Do we dress our dogs because they are sappier? Are they more compliant than cats? Or do dogs just look better in clothes? For answers, I had to turn to a few dogs that I knew. (Petal declined comment). One dog, Pixie, a small toy poodle, mused that she could go either way with the dog apparel, but she suspects (strongly), that her owner (Kathy) sees her as an extension of Kathy's family and more specifically, of Kathy herself. Pixie not only travels in a designer pet carrier, but her outfits change according to the season and Kathy's temperament. For instance, when Kathy needs to wind down, Pixie will find herself in some cozy pajamas or comfy loungewear . If Kathy goes out to play, Pixie is dressed for play too in booties or a cute bandana . And Kathy loves dressing Pixie in a dainty beaded rhinestone collar and fur, bows or lacey trim whenever they go window-shopping in the city. Ralph, a chocolate Labrador disagrees. He sees clothing as a matter of safety and comfort. He would not be caught dead in a pair of pink pajamas. He claims it's a matter of necessity if he exercises in snowy or icy conditions to have a practical pair of booties to protect his paws. His life is side by side his masters as companion and protector. Whither his master goes, he goes too. A reflective vest or life jacket is as much a requirement for him as a helmet might be for anyone riding a bike.

Judy an attractive cocker spaniel has her own ideas why dogs prefer clothing to cats. She's not into sporty activities like Ralph, but is more concerned about protecting her coat during her evening walk. A cat like Petal can handle her bathroom excursions indoors with a litter box, but most dogs like Judy have to take their routine outside in rain, sleet or snow. And she doesn't have the inclination (or patience) to clean herself for hours on end like Petal. She wants to protect her fur while outside and take her walk in comfort. A foul weather raincoat or even a dog umbrella is right up her alley when it rains. Shorthaired dogs do not like the pounding on their fur and longhaired dogs feel like they have twenty Chihuahuas on their back in wet weather. So, there we have it. Dressing up dogs is not a matter of pure vanity or neurosis. Our pets play an important role in our lives and we extend the same kind of attention to them as we might have for others in our care. We act in ways that reinforce their place in our hearts, that provides them protection or safety. Somehow that Faux Fur Coat doesn't seem so silly.

Make Your Pet's Coat Sparkle

Pet Pampering: Not a Trend, but a Lifestyle

Much has been made of recent trends to pamper pets in human like ways, but pet spas such as Sunday Colors believe that such pampering is neither novel nor part of a passing fad. Humans have always had affection for animals and pampering them with spa care and couture items is but one means of expressing such affection. If our own pampering has taken on more sophistication with better products and wider availability of spa treatments, it makes perfect sense that we have also expanded the ways in which we express our love of our pets. Admittedly, Fifi may not know the difference between her Shea Butter Skin and Dander Repair and a vat of Vaseline, (though her skin most definitely will), but she will immediately sense the warmth with which her owner tends to her coat with such lavish attention. Somehow another dog bone in the kennel doesn’t quite cut it anymore.

Today’s pet pampering runs the gamut from handmade baby style front pet pouch dog carriers, to extravagant treatments for dry & itchy skin or gaseous emissions. The ingredients in many pet spa treatments are so sumptuous you’d think you can put them on your salad. In fact, many of today’s pet spa treatments are made with human grade ingredients and mirror items you might find in upscale department store beauty counters: Avocado, Fennel Extract, Dill Extract, peppermint, comfrey, aloe, jojoba and shea butter.

One spa product particularly popular in the pet spa line up is made from all natural mica, the stuff that makes your beauty cosmetics sparkle. Adding natural mica to Happy Tails Sparkle & Shine Brightening Pet Shampoo for dogs adds a subtle hint of glitter to your pet’s coat. Not only does this lovely product contain silk proteins that moisturize your pet’s coat and restructure the hair, but the overall effect of those proteins and the mica is to perk up a drab dog coat, a natural consequence of aging, and help your pet look and smell lovely as these wonderful ingredients work to repel dust and dirt. As any groomer will attest, keeping your pet’s skin and coat healthy with proper grooming and the right products promotes better health and could translate into added dog years.

Certainly, pets have also gained longevity with the improved nutrition also available at pet spas such as Sunday Colors. The treats for sale at Sunday Colors are selected with consideration to allergic and digestive conditions in pets. And of course, they have to taste good too! There are organic wheat free and corn free cookies, Power Patties for all natural and raw diets, Salt free, Sugar free and Preservative free Peanut Butter Dog Treats, Real Meat Lamb Liver and Chicken dog treats, Bonito Flakes for cats, vegan baked Buddy Biscuits and very fishy gourmet salmon cat treats with good stuff such as salmon fused with broccoli, cauliflower, blueberries, apples, cranberries, alfalfa sprouts and parsley all packaged in a vintage inspired 6 oz. airtight can.

Stress, agitation, discomfort are all the reasons humans seek spa treatment to soothe, calm and relax. At Sunday Colors , one of the rare people and pet spas, you can find your own pampered products among your pets for one stop shopping for a healthy lifestyle.

SundayColors.com is an online People and Pet Spa selling designer apparel, accessories and spa items for people and pets. Gift certificates are also available as well as weekly coupons and specials for return customers.