Sneak Peek of New Pet and Pet-Related Household Products

The International Housewares Association (IHA) is a trade association that has been dedicated to promoting the sales and marketing of housewares since 1938. The organization’s trade show, held from March 2-5, 2013 in Chicago’s McCormick Place, offers an opportunity to observe lifestyle and product trends for all areas of the home, both inside and out. In the past few years, we have seen more pet products and products that can help pet owners live harmoniously with their animals displayed at this show. The recent preview in New York City showed that this year was no different. Here are just a few of the pet and pet-related household products that appeared there.

Products for Healthier Feeding and Watering

For those pet owners looking to make healthy meals for their animal, the Micom Rice Cooker & Warner is a multi-task appliance that makes cooking pet meals as easy 1-2-3. With a variety of settings, the pet owner can cook different types of rice and grains by selecting from the easy to read LCD control panel. Additionally, the steam function allows food to be steamed in the tray while rice is cooking in the bowl. The machine is easy to clean, has delay timers and is packaged with accessories.

Most animal experts will agree that pets should be given the same quality water as humans, bottled and/or filtered, because municipal and well water can contain many harmful things, like parasites. Instead of giving your pet bottled water which is extremely expensive and continues to add waste in our landfills, consider giving your pet filtered water. MAVEA is a new generation of water filtration from Germany, bringing a new line of filters and systems to America. Their advanced filter technology requires no pre-soaking to activate filters, includes a screen to reduce the release of black particle bits and contains silver to provide antimicrobial protection and an extended and prolonged filter life. The filters fit into Brita systems. Two size water filtration systems (pitchers) are available. Both come with a meter to tell pet owners when to change the filter.

Strategies for Calming Pets

Many sound-sensitive dogs and cats struggle with the effects of thunderstorms and fireworks. Fortunately, there are options available to make life better for your pet during noisy events. One strategy is to utilize a white noise machine to help mask fearful sounds, but don’t play the sound during just fearful times; use the machine during relaxing times too, so that your pet doesn’t develop a negative association with it. The Dohm is a sound conditioner that creates the smooth, soothing sound of rushing air, known as white noise, to effectively block unpleasant noises and frequencies.

Eliminating Pet Odor

Whether you have one cat or more, eliminating litter box odor can be a difficult task for pet owners. Litter box odor can also permeate the room in which the litter box is placed, making the room smell unpleasant, too. Also, if the ammonia smell becomes too severe, your cat or cats will refuse to use the litter box, creating even more problems. To keep the box smelling fresh, try the CLR® Fresh Absorb, a new, all-natural odor absorber that purifies air without giving off a scent by trapping the impurities inside each pore. Made of charcoal bamboo, the CLR® Fresh Absorb cuts through tough odors and is an eco-friendly, non-toxic, fragrance free bag which can be placed in any kitty litter. With no chemicals inside the bag, it is safe for children and pets. The CLR® Fresh Absorb bag can be rejuvenated in direct sunlight for at least an hour each month, and it has a life expectancy of up two years.

Additionally, it is always a good idea to invest in an air purifier and keep it in the room with the litter box. The air purifier will keep air circulating in the room and will remove any ammonia smell the dirty litter is putting into the air. That is why the ORECK Air Instinct 75 Smart Air Purifier is purr-fect for a household with a pet, especially with a cat. It uses technology to take the guesswork out of air purifiers. The Air Instinct 75, with its unique PATH (pre-filter, anti-odor, True HEPA) filtration system, continuously checks particles in the air passing through its sensor and adjust its air flow speed accordingly. Set it on “Automode,” and it does the thinking for you. The timer allows you to set it to run for one, four or eight hours. Two different indicator lights remind you to change the filters.

For those looking to upgrade their air filters, try Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh Air Filters, which reduce common household odors. The high-performance filter is equipped with electrostatically-charged pleats that trap allergy-causing airborne particles. It is impregnated with natural baking soda and a proprietary odor reducing ingredient to reduce odors at the same time. The system is easily attached to any residential air filter and neutralizes ordinary household odors as air circulates through your home. Each filter lasts 90 days, is made in the USA and comes in 19 standard sizes.

Products that Help Pet Owners Clean Quickly

A Veterinary Pet Insurance report, Foreign Body Ingestion Threatens Pets, indicates that "pets have a tendency to chew anything they can get into their mouths. This becomes a serious and potentially life-threatening problem if the objects are swallowed.” It can also become an expensive if your pet requires surgery. As a pet owner, dropping a glass item on the floor is a particular concern, especially if it is mixed with a liquid. The Quickie HomePro Spill Collector is excellent for spills mixed with broken glass. It is the same size as a traditional dustpan, but can clean up both dry and wet messes without your touching them. Use the brush side for dry messes and the squeegee side for wet messes. It also features a unique locking system to contain the mess; so no more dripping on the way to the trash can. The pan is dishwasher safe.

Pet Hair Removal Products

Hair from a beloved animal can be very frustrating when it finds its way on to your clothes, carpeting and upholstery. The new ROWENTA DR6015 Steambrush releases wrinkles with continuous steam that cuts through pet hair, but also lifts hair with a lint brush.

Walking Protection

Nobody likes pesky mosquitoes buzzing in your ear, especially when you are walking your dog at night. Keep them away from you and your pet with Bugables®, a wristband (formulated with 100% natural oils, lemongrass, geraniol & citronella). The Bugables® work by emitting an ‘aura’ of all-natural, plant-based essential oils. This scent masks the odors of you and your dog while making you and your dog smell like a plant and invisible to insects. The wristband repels for an area from four to six feet.