OkcPets Magazine November 2021

22 OKC Pets • November/December 2021 TOP 7 GIFTS for 2021-2022 by Travis Brorsen W ith the holidays quickly approaching, there is nothing more exciting than showing your beloved pets how much you love them. If you have the opportunity to enrich their lives at the same time, even better! Here are my top seven gifts to engage, empower and show your pets how special they are to you. DMISOCHR Small Animal Hammock hammocktown.com Good for: Ferret, hamster, parrot, guinea pig, mice, chinchilla, flying squirrel HammockTown.com: $16.99 Amazon: $16.99 Training: 1 out of 5 Health &Wellness: 3 out of 5 Entertainment: 4.5 out of 5 What a great gift for small animal lovers. The hammock and crawling tunnel are made out of a soft material, making it very cozy for your small pet. This product gets an A+ for cuteness! Your small pet has the option of resting in the open on the top hammock or hiding in the cozy tunnel underneath the hammock. One issue users have incurred is the lack of attachments to secure the hammock to the pet’s cage. Pros: Provides enrichment for many different types of small pets. Cons: Lack of attachments cause it to be too high in some pet environ- ments. Outward Bound Tail Teaser/ DogWand outwardhound.com Good for: Dog, cat Chewy: $16.99 Amazon: $16.99 Training: 2 out of 5 Health &Wellness: 2.5 out of 5 Entertainment: 5 out of 5 Does your puppy love to bite and nip your hands? Does she grab your pant legs when you walk through the room? If so, this is for you (or your friends)! The training wand allows you to engage your dog from a distance, preventing him or her from nipping your hands. Remember, play is an important part of a pup’s development so you don’t want her to not play, just to play appropri- ately. The wand, also referred to as a flirt pole, can be used to teach dogs impulse control as well. Pros: Great for exercise, play and enrichment for dogs and cats. Cons: It’s not sturdy enough for large dogs. ArmOR Hand Glove armorhandglove.com Good for: Dog, cat Armorhandglove.com: $148 Training: 3.5 out of 5 Health &Wellness: 4 out of 5 Entertainment: Not Applicable I personally use these gloves when I’m working with reactive dogs. The ArmOR Hand Gloves are made of all synthetic/vegan materials, including Stretch Cordura (strongest stretch material), Neoprene over knuckles to increase flexibility and double-layer DuPont™ knit Kevlar® lines the entire hand. I’ve actually been bitten by a dog during training, and because I was wearing these gloves, it saved me a trip to the hospital. This is a perfect gift for veterinar- ians, farmers, ranchers, dog groomers, rescue pet volunteers and trainers, to name a few. Pros: These gloves allow humans to handle and provide care for pets that might not have been able to receive the care they need. The best functional tool I’ve found for working with diffi- cult animals. Cons: The price. They are very expensive and not affordable for everyone. Although if you were to get injured, your doctor’s bill could be significantly higher than the price of the gloves. So if you have the money, they are worth every penny! 7 6 5