The Things We Still Love: Pet products that have stood the test of time… and Cooper

Since this site started in the summer of 2009, we’ve been fortunate to receive gobs of pet products to consider for review and giveaway. Tons never make it to the site in the first place. Those that do are ones we assimilate into our lives and, I believe, are valuable. But not all have stood the test of time!

I’ve been brainstorming this year’s holiday gift guide, and it got me thinking: Of all the stuff we’ve reviewed over the last 9+ years, which ones are we still using? Which ones are now most-loved and most-used around the house? John and I talked it through and came up with this list of things we love, use, and enjoy every day.

I should note, and you guys won’t be surprised to hear this: This list excludes books! I could’ve listed dozens of books that we’ve loved over the years–and I’m super pumped because I have a huge back-to-school roundup of books and giveaways coming later this month–but I couldn’t possibly have picked one or two to include here!

Ruggable

This rug lives in the hallway with our bedroom door and our backyard outside door. (They’re at 90-degree angles to each other.) So, what that means is Cooper often runs outside, then comes back inside and jumps right into our bed. Which is fine. He’s allowed. But yard feet? No one wants yard feet on their pillow. This rug catches a bunch of yard crud, and it’s machine washable! I can run the vacuum over it when I’m doing the floors, then every few weeks I peel up the top, toss it in the washer and dryer, then put it back down. I want to get another for our front door, too! Love this one so much! Original post.

Available on Amazon. Side note: One of the one-star reviews says that it slips all over the place. We’ve literally never had it slip. I’m wondering if that person has the pad upside down?

Euroflex

I use this thing every week. Cat litter gets everywhere. The baby throws food. Everyone sheds. This is fast. It’s easy. I just pull it out of its little storage bag, vacuum up the mess, and move on. My main complaint is that it overheats. So, that being said, this is not a full, clean-the-house vacuum but rather a quick clean-up vacuum. I’ve reviewed many vacuums over the years, and this one stays at the top of my most-used and preferred list! (This is one I won’t give to a friend or family member or relative’s neighbor’s kid going off to college, which is what I’ve done with almost all the other review vacuums I’ve gotten over the years!!)

It doesn’t look like the one we had is still available (it was almost 5 years ago) but there are two similar ones on Amazon: this one and this one.

DGP

Every single time someone asks me for a joint care recommendation, this is it. It works, you guys. It worked for Lucas before his osteosarcoma and amputation, and it worked for him after it, too. It worked for Emmett and his age-related joint issues. BUT, we’ve never given it to Cooper because we thought with his allergies there might be a conflict. (Turns out, that may not be the case, but that’s another story–a long story–for another day, but we are considering switching him to DGP from the one he’s on now.) We LOVED this product. One early post. And another more recent.

Available on Amazon. So, so, so worth it.

Kurgo backpack

I’m glad I took on this exercise of going through the stuff we really, truly love because we haven’t used this backpack in ages. I want to get it back into regular use because it makes a humongous difference. First of all, when we’re hiking, it’s super useful for Cooper to carry a bunch of his and our stuff! Second, though, it totally focuses him. His mindset shifts the second he has this strapped to his back, and we need to get that back. I plan on dusting this one off and trying it out on our hike this coming weekend. If you’re looking for a pack, this one has two saddlebags, it’s fully adjustable in a ton of different ways, it’s durable, and it’s cute. I highly recommend it for hiking, of course, but also for dogs who could benefit from a little bit of mental focus during a walk. Original post. Second post.

The model we have is older and it looks discontinued, but there’s a newer version available on Amazon.

Emmett’s portrait 

I’m not even sure what else to say about this other than this is one of the things I’d grab in a house fire. Leah Davies is wildly talented, you guys. This past Christmas, I commissioned her to paint Newt’s portrait as a gift for John, and he totally cried when he opened it. 🙂 In all seriousness, her work is incredible. This is one of my favorite things in my entire house. She captured Em so perfectly. Original post.

Contact her if you’re interested in a pet portrait! Or just click on her website to see the header image with the cat and the succulents… holy moly. It’s so gorgeous and looks like a photograph, not a painting!

Solvit Ramp

This one we actually didn’t receive as a freebie from the company; John’s mom sent it as a gift right before Lukey’s amputation. As luck would have it, right after they reached out with a product pitch, which I was able to turn into the giveaway instead! I know that there are more compact or telescoping versions out there now, even by this same company, but here’s my thing: I need durability. I need stability. I need this to be solid. And it’s all of those things. Yes, it’s heavy (20 pounds), but it’s not going to shift on your pup. It’s not going to buckle in the middle or wiggle even an inch. If you’re dealing with a dog with an injury or even age-related mobility issues, those things are non-negotiable in my book. Next week Cooper turns eight, and while he’s thankfully not struggling with any mobility issues right now, and he’s still my running partner, I’m going to start training him on the ramp now so that as he ages he’ll be all set and comfy with it. I mean, I should say, I’m going to start training him on it as soon as I get a car. (Did I tell you guys my car died? The Emmett Mobile is gone forever. It broke my heart. I cried. The car guy thought I was nuts.) Original post.

Available on Amazon.

There are tons of other products that deserve honorable mentions like the GingerLead, any toy from West Paw, the Only Natural Pet grass seed cat litter, and–more recently–Cooper’s new anti-anxiety supplement routine. But this list of six leads the pack of piles of pet products we’ve tested over the years!

Are there any pet products that you love? Anything you consider a must-have or even a can’t-live-without? I’d love to know! Share in the comments your (or your pet’s!) most prized possession!