Top 10 fun and functional products that are must-haves for your pets

I’m pretty sure our pets are enjoying this pandemic way more than us, I mean they get to have their hoomans all to themselves almost all the time! And as much as I love spending time with my own cats, I’m honestly running out of ways to keep them entertained and prevent them from knocking down an item or two in my home, out of sheer boredom. If you’re pretty much in the same precarious situation as me, then this collection of pet products promises to come to your rescue! From a drying chamber for cats to a unibody dog house made using hot press machines – these product designs will take good care of your pet, and keep them active and content! You can take a little breather, while they wrestle around with these newfound fun products!

1. The Cottage dog house

The Cottage dog house is a minimalist dog house made from metallic elements and eco-friendly felt coverings.

Why is it noteworthy?

Your dog deserves a corner of the home to call its own. Whether that means creating your own pillow fort around your dog’s bed or buying the latest, greatest dog house that only fits in the backyard, it’s up to you. Typically, dogs aren’t too fussy and they’ll find comfort wherever there’s a hint of it–on your lap or under the couch. The Cottage dog house from LSY and Jaeyeon Choi is a new kind of minimalist dog house that taps into comfort with a felt covering and sturdy build.

What we like

  • The internal cushion is meant to provide ultimate comfort for your canine friend
  • The removable roof allows for open-air or semi-enclosed sleeping

What we dislike

  • The aesthetics are a bit too simple

2. Dmuse

Dmuse is a sauna-like drying chamber for cats to have a comfortable place to dry themselves after a bath.

Why is it noteworthy?

While getting cats into the bathtub for cleaning can feel like pulling your own teeth, it’s only half the battle. Then comes the water and we all know how cats deal with that. Take that in addition to drying your cat in a towel and you’ll end up with scratches and tooth marks up and down your arms. Introducing Dmuse, Designer Dot created a drying chamber that doubles as a cat tower as a solution for cats to have a more comfortable way of drying themselves.

What we like

  • A collection of control options manage the device’s temperature, strength, timer, and heat fan
  • Dmuse doubly operates as a cat tower for cats to rest and play even when they’re dry

What we dislike

  • We’re not sure if cats would actually enter the chamber

3. Solar

MyZoo, a cat goods company, designs modern cat furniture that caters to your cat’s every need, while not disrupting your interior design. Solar, one of their more recent designs, is a wall-mountable floating cat bed that mounts onto any vertical surface so cats rest midair in their own designated space.

Why is it noteworthy?

Shaped like the sun, Solar is a small, but sturdy floating cat bed that’s built from pinewood. In a similar fashion to their other pieces of cat furniture, MyZoo lined Solar with a slotted resting platform for safe jumping. Ideal for small spaces, Solar provides a resting spot and jumping platform for your cat and saves space in the meantime.

What we like

  • Solar doesn’t take up any ground space and easily mounts to any wall where there’s room
  • Easy to assemble

What we dislike

  • There’s no cushioning on the bed, which would make it comfier

4. Cat Nest

The PICA Cat Nest is one such product concept and this one is meant for pets of the feline persuasion. It is a “nest” where the cat will be able to stay inside if they need to rest or hide from the rest of the world. It can also serve as a travel caddy for your pet if you need to carry them around in a sort of container instead of directly picking them up, especially if they’re feeling a little prickly that day. It is basically just one huge felt paper with a few buttons so you can transform it for various purposes.

Why is it noteworthy?

The design is inspired by origami, the art of folding paper most associated with Japanese culture. This time around, you’re not folding paper into various shapes but rather the felt material that the nest is made from. You can fold it into its different functionalities. For example, there’s the half-closed mode which can let the cat rest and relax inside the nest but it can also let him take a look around its surroundings. You can also wrap him around like a little burrito if it prefers to have a more snug enclosure.

What we like

  • Inspired by origami
  • You can turn the nest into a bag for easy handling

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

5. The CIRI-US Beam Projector

Concept CIRI-US Beam Projector 2022

Concept CIRI-US Beam Projector Design

The CIRI-US Beam Projector is an attempt to mourn the death of a man’s best friend more positively and beautifully. The concept beam projector doubles as an urn to contain a dog’s remains and can be used to observe the pet’s journey to becoming a star. Even in your pet dog’s death, you can still show your love by giving the dog a proper resting place. The Rainbow Bridge is out there, but the dog must first become a star.

Why is it noteworthy?

Pet funeral doesn’t always have to be formal and cold. It can be interesting and memorable as every pet is meant to be a star. Even if you don’t believe in the idea, having a star for your beloved pet can make things easier and lighter. So switch on this projector and wait for it to beam your pet as a shining star on your wall or ceiling.

What we like

  • Gives your pet dog’s death more meaning

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

6. The Leo’s Loo Too

Looking almost like a slick front-loaded washing machine, the Leo’s Loo Too by Smarty Pear uses a similar rotating chamber to automatically ‘flush’ out your cat’s poo, saving you the trouble of digging away at kitty excrement with a scoop.

Why is it noteworthy?

After your cat’s gone about its business, the Leo’s Loo Too waits for the waste to clump together before beginning its cleaning cycle. To clean out the cat’s waste, the entire inner chamber rotates a full 360, using gravity and a clever mesh design to sift out and separate the waste from the litter. At the end of one 360° spin, the waste gets sent into the Loo’s waste drawer where it’s collected in a plastic waste bag, while the upper chamber is cleaned and laid down with the litter once again. The entire process happens automatically and can be controlled/calibrated via a companion smartphone app

What we like

  • Sports a modern enclosed design
  • The enclosed space means your cat can go about its business with utmost privacy

What we dislike

  • Occupies a substantial amount of space

7. Pet Bed

This design for a pet bed actually has several functions to fit your pet’s sleeping and traveling needs. It comes with a three-stage folding design and how you fold it or not fold it will determine how your small or medium-sized pet can use the “pet sanctuary”. They can use it as a mattress when it’s spread out fully. Fold one part and it becomes a “sofa” for the dog or cat. Put them inside the folded part and suddenly it has become a sleeping bag for them.

Why is it noteworthy?

Most fur parents that I know love getting all kinds of stuff for their doggies and kitties. It seems like the smaller the pet, the cuter the stuff that is available. Not that there aren’t cute things for regular-sized animals. But the ones created for tiny fur babies are especially eye-catching and adorable. So if you want your pet to look like a very lively burrito and at the same time have help to carry them around, here’s hoping this new product design will actually get made.

What we like

  • Functions as a cozy sofa for your pet
  • Even doubles up as a sleeping bag!

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

8. Alive

Alive is a customizable, 3D-printed wheelchair for dogs suffering from joint-related body ailments. As our dogs grow older, age-related body issues, such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, and paralysis make it difficult to enjoy life. When even moving feels hard, aging dogs are less likely to spend time with family members and take care of bodily needs, leading to psychological stress.

Why is it noteworthy?

While technical accessories and equipment do exist to offer some relief, antiquated building methods make it hard for dogs to adapt to wheelchairs and other assistive appliances. Revolutionizing the canine assistive appliance game, industrial designer Martin Tsai conceptualized a wheelchair for dogs called Alive that can be 3D printed to fit your dog’s body data and needs.

What we like

  • It’s a one of a kind design that provides aid to dogs suffering from joint-related body ailments
  • Uses 3D scans of the dog’s body data to generate an optimized wheelchair for each dog

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

9. 3D-printed prosthesis

This dog-friendly prosthesis prototype was 3D-printed and designed for a dog who previously couldn’t run for over seven years.

Why is it noteworthy?

Inspired by a dog who couldn’t run for over seven years due to a missing leg, Printthinks committed to research and design study periods that led to the creation of their 3D-printed prosthesis prototype. Printed from a material called PETG and solely recycled materials, Printthinks created a solution that’s both eco-conscious and pet-friendly.

What we like

  • Eco-friendly design
  • 3D-printed design

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

10. DogTag

Say hello to DogTag – a pet-collar tag designed by the fine folks at Studio Proper that houses an Apple AirTag within it. Designed to work with dogs as well as cats, the DogTag lets you easily keep track of your furry little friend when they’re scampering about outdoors or even playing hide-and-seek with you inside the house.

Why is it noteworthy?

Relying on Apple’s powerful ‘Find My’ network, the DogTag lets you be able to keep track of your pet no matter where they are. You can create no-go zones for them, knowing if and when they scale your fence and jump right into your neighbor’s prized flower-bed… and if they decide to play hooky right before bathing time, you can easily ‘ping’ the AirTag inside the collar to give up your furry little monster’s location, or use the Find Nearby feature to help guide you to them!

What we like

  • Let’s you keep track of your pet no matter where they are
  • Comes along with a secure two-part soft silicone housing that protects the tags from accidental bumps or even getting wet

What we dislike

  • Not sure how comfortable doggos would be with wearing it