Monsoon buys for your four-legged friends

PUNE: Shikha and her husband, Ravi Menon, were scouting for the perfect treadmill. After searching high and low, they finally found what they were looking for on an online portal. It seemed just perfect.
Now the hi-tech gear, that set them back by a cool Rs 72,000, occupies pride of place in their balcony. Every now and then, Bambi, jumps on to it and has a nice little jog as her doctor suggested.Oh, Bambi, by the way, is their pet Cocker Spaniel, who is 'slightly' obese - some 6kg, hence, the exercise.
Surprised? Spending on dog treats and collars, tags and leashes is passe. What we have now is a more evolved spending on exercise equipment and fashion accessories, even monsoon wear, turning your pet pooches into divas - well, almost.
There are many sites today that stock products unavailable in India but they can be sourced from the US. They boast all kinds of branded products that haven't seen their way into the Indian market.
They cater to all kinds of pets - from dogs, cats, horses, fish, birds to quirkier ones like reptiles, iguanas, hedgehogs and more - they have apparel and accessories, beds and furnitures, as well as training and behavior aids.
For products that are not listed on their sites, but are nonetheless wanted by the customer, some of them go out of their way to source it from the US.
Says Mahendra, manager at a pet shop in Kalyaninagar owned by Prasad Gunjal, "During monsoon, we have almost 40% of our regular customers coming in for pet raincoats. These really help the pets stay dry in this treacherous weather when they go out for walks."
Abhinav Singha, owner of a pet shop in Aundh, says, "Of all pet accessories, beds are the hottest selling items. Pets need a bed and they soon wear them out. Also, pet clothes and even bibs for pets sell a lot."
Keeping the monsoon requirement in mind, most of the sites stock accessories like pet raincoats, thermal apparel, insulated indoor and outdoor shelters, special bedding, indoor play pens, health supplies, to name a few.
Monali Sen, who has three pets - a Labrador, a pug and a boxer, says, "The rains play spoilsport when I take out my dogs for walks. Their coats get drenched and lose shine plus their paws get muddy. Sometimes, they also develop fungal infections inside their paws due to it."
To avoid such discomfort to her pets, Monali invested in raincoats and shoes for her darlings this year. The result being that now whenever she takes them for walk, they stay clean and dry despite the rain and puddles.
Another pet lover, Vriksh Ahire, says, "During monsoon, pets require a lot of care, especially with their coat. Not only does it get easily matted, but also gives out bad odour. Plus the fear of fungal infection is always there."
Vriksh makes sure that his two pets, a German Shepherd and a Dalmatian, are regularly sprayed with pet deodrants and lint brushes and massage brushes are used at intervals to keep their coat and skin clean and healthy.
"Also, I am very particular about their teeth as I believe all illness stems from there. So, I brush their teeth every night and clean their paws and ears before they retire for bed. These small things go a long way in extending your pet's life," he smiles.
Sheila Rajurkar loves to dress up her pet beagle Bo. Rajurkar says, "Recently, when my sister was coming from the UK, I requested her to get me and Bo similar jackets with our names written in American diamonds. Now when we go for jogs wearing the similar jackets, people always turn around to give us a glance."
So, next time you want to go that extra mile for your pet pooches irrespective of the cost, you know what to get your darlings.