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Pamper your pooch at Love They Pet

By Camille Sperrazza

If your dog or cat is an important member of your family, you’ll want to shop for all its needs at Love Thy Pet (164 Union Street, 718-596-2399). The shop specializes in carrying high end brands of dog and cat food that contain all of the ingredients that are good for your pet, says Chris, the owner. For example, it is this food that contains few of the fillers and byproducts that make animals feel full, but “do nothing for them nutritionally,” he says. In addition, it is often these same fillers that are responsible for causing dogs and cats to have allergic reactions. Switch to a better brand of food and avoid these problems. Another plus: the better brands carry nutrients that the body can absorb, producing less waste for the litter box, says Chris. Love Thy Pet carries natural, organic, and a Holistique blend that contain “all sorts of goodies,” your animal needs, he says. This food is available canned and dry, and in enticing flavors such as beef with barley, lamb, brown rice, and an assortment of other flavors. If you really want to give your pet something extraordinary, choose from among the frozen raw food Love Thy Pet stocks. You’ll find selections such as venison, rabbit, lamb, and chicken. “It’s a natural food,” says Chris. It has a long history of satisfying a hungry pet. “Years ago, dogs at this raw food,” he says. “It’s better for dogs because it’s natural.” Moreover, there should be nothing to cause allergies in the animal, he notes. Like everyone else in the family, your pet probably enjoys a treat now and then. Shop at Love Thy Pet and select from natural treats such as Bully stick, “a natural chew item,” says Chris. There’s also Slossies, “tendons from the leg area of the cow.” Animals enjoy chewing on these treats, he says. “It’s good for the teeth and quenches the desire to chew all the time.” By adding special oils to food that are sold at Love Thy Pet, owners can assure that the beloved one’s skin and hair are shiny, he says. “There’s no dry skin, no itching, and no dandruff.” To keep your animal looking well and feeling terrific, treat it to some special shampoos and soaps. Organic shampoos, natural bars of soap, and organic flea mixes, are sold on the premises, as are non-organic ones, Chris says. If you want your cat to feel like the king of its castle, buy it a “Cat Condo,” says Chris. They are available in one-, two-, three-, or four-stories, and contain rooms that house beds and play areas, he says. “They stand upright and are taller than a dollhouse,” he notes. Incredibly, some contain wood floors. Others contain carpeting. “Cats can sharpen nails on them, and sleep on them,” he says. Chris travels to trade shows to find original pieces like these to bring back to the shop. There are leashes, collars, and designer bags to carry pets everywhere, including on airlines. There are ceramic pet bowls, stainless steel bowls, toys, litter boxes, and gadgets. There’s a special anti-pulling leash “that prevents your dog from pulling you all over the place,” he says. Now that winter has arrived, be sure your pooch is prepared. While long-haired dogs have “natural insulation,” if your dog has short hair, he needs a coat, says Chris. “It keeps the animal warm.” Dog coats start at $12.99, he says. It is also essential that their paws are protected from the elements, as it’s worse than a jungle out there. “Snow, ice, rain, rock salt,” Chris says. Protect your pup with dog boots. Or, invest in Paw Guard. It’s a cream, contained in a can, that animals step in, he says. Then, when dogs step on rock salt, “it doesn’t burn their paws.” Rock salt is “a big problem,” for dogs, he says. When rock salt is on the ground, “by the time they walk the length of two buildings, they scream and cry. Rock salt burns their paws.” Pet lover that he is, Chris says he uses a special rock salt that doesn’t burn the feet of animals. Chris has worked in the pet business for 35 years. He took over Love Thy Pet this past August, and added more supplies, toys, and accessories designed to make any pet feel appreciated. He invites the community to bring in their pets for a greet-and-meet and for some sound nutritional advice. Love Thy Pet is open seven days a week—Mondays through Fridays, from 11:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.; Saturdays, from 10:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.; and on Sundays from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.