Well, if it wasn’t mine, why am I wearing this stupid hat and posing in front of Bella’s birthday present?

It was really our cat, Bella’s, 6th birthday (October 9th is the day Parental Unit found her in a Walgreens parking lot when she was just a wee kid of two months. The legend has it that she was hiding under the gigantic wheel of a truck, the man had just gotten back in and started the engine when Parental Unit screamed and bent down…little Ms. Prissy ran to her and jumped in her arms and the rest is my tortured history).

So here’s what happened the other day: Parental Unit borrows a little party hat from our neighbor and tries to put it on Bella, at the same time posing her on top of the prize that she won at the recent BlogPaws conference: a really cool “Litter Robot” – an automatically cleaning litter box-see picture(s) above and below.

Now…you can imagine trying to convince little Ms. Prissy to: (a) wear a party hat, (b) stay on top of this box, and (c) celebrate her birthday (we did get treats for our efforts).

So here’s the result: Bella with hat askew, trying to flee!

So what did Parental Unit do while she had the camera out? Yep, you guessed it-she put that dang hat on me and snapped away. Here I am after I’ve given up…

Now, we did want to tell you a bit about the “Litter Robot” in case you haven’t heard about it. As you can see from the picture, the kitty enters her litter box from the dome -shaped structure, does her business, and then exactly 7 minutes after she departs, the “Robot” cleans the litter by sweeping the clumps to the waiting litter bag below: no fuss no muss, and no more cleaning out litter boxes! Just remove the biodegradable bag and toss. If you want to learn more about the Litter Robot, check out their website here: www.litter-robot.com

And let’s end this birthday post with a picture of Ms. Prissy (I mean Bella) shortly after Parental Unit first brought her home.

Well here we are again, folks, with yet another fabulous giveaway, this time from our friends at Kyjen, whose tag line is: “We Make Unique, Innovative Dog Products”. And boy do they ever, as you will soon see!
Kyjen was founded in 1992 by Kyle and Jennifer Hanson (Ky + Jen = clever!). Their mission is simply to “create the best pet products in the world”, and over these nearly 20 years, they’ve become known as the top innovator in the industry.
Based in the Colorado foothills, Kyjen employees use the outdoors to hike, play and entertain their dogs-all the while doing the in-depth research and development necessary to make superior products.

Every day is “Bring your pet to work day” at Kyjen!

So Parental Unit met Kyjen representatives at, where else, but the Blogpaws West conference in Denver, and they were kind enough to send us a variety of products in exchange for doing this review. We received no other compensation, and the reviews are our own.

Check out our gifts below. Clockwise from L-R:  Paw Hide Dog Puzzle Toy, Treat ‘N Training Bag, Excursion Dog Backpack, Sydney the Squirrel Square Squeaker Mat, and a Port-A-Bowl. Whew!

Now here’s how we’ll do this: We’ll review these products individually (except the treat and training bag, because that’s not part of the official give-a-way), and there will be three different prizes awarded to three different winners: One Paw Hide Puzzle Toy to one winner, One Squeaker Mat toy to another winner, and one Excursion Backpack and one Port-A-Bowl to a third winner. We will choose the winners randomly as always, but this time you must specify which of the three items you’d prefer to win. Please make sure to read the entry requirements at the end of the post.


And away we go…..


First up: The Paw Hide Dog Puzzle Toy.

                                   Oh, here I go!

 Whoops! Here I’m taking off to play with the yellow cap, when I was supposed to grab the treat-duh!

Speaking for Parental Unit here (don’t I always), she’s a big fan of enrichment toys for companion animals (as well as zoo animals for whom such products were first developed). Why you ask? Because she learned the hard way that dogs and cats need both physical and mental stimulation every day or they will “act out” and get that “stimulation” in ways that are unacceptable to the average household (to prove my point, see my personal list of things that I’ve destroyed since I was adopted on blog sidebar). It really just makes sense. According to Kyjen’s website: “As descendants of wolves, most dogs instinctively enjoy the challenge of hunting and seeking out the hidden food in these puzzle toys.” And as an added bonus, each of the three sturdy plastic puzzles is dishwasher safe!
By the way, we recommend that you Parental Units supervise your dog during this type of play.

On to Sydney the Squirrel!

                                Here I go…!

                Got Sydney right on a squeaker!

          He even has a good size tail to play tug ‘o war with!

Let’s face it, it’s furry, has tons of squeakers, and looks like a squirrel-what’s not to love?

And they have several different animal mats: Harpo the Hedgehog,  Shelby the Sheep,  Podge the Pig, Monty the Mallard, and a Duck, inexplicably with no first name-may I suggest “Dennis”?  According to the Kyjen catalog,  Harpo, Sydney and Shelby come in two different sizes: small and large, and the duck pig and mallard come in one medium size. Take you pick or buy one of each why don’t ya!

Now let’s take a look at Kyjen’s “Outward Hound” extensive line of products.
Whatdaya expect-they’re based in Colorado and in case you didn’t know, Colorado has the thinnest, fittest human population in the entire country! Something tells me their dogs are just as fit:-)

Anyway, take a gander at this fabulous backpack. They have several different varieties, but I received the Excursion Dog Backpack-sounds like I’ll be going on many wonderfully long hikes!

The above photo is the plaid version but my colors are called “clay and java”. This particular backpack  comes in three different sizes with three easily adjustable, padded straps, so the fit will be perfect and comfortable for any size pooch!  See those large zippered pockets on both sides? It even has a “pick up” bag dispenser, a D-Ring for leash hookup, and reflective strips for night safety.

            Ain’t I a great model? When are we leavin’?

   And take a look at the underside: breathable mesh for cool, dry comfort on those long hikes!

You know, according to many dog trainers and behaviorists, giving a dog a job to do (like carrying his/her own food and water via a backpack on a walk, hike, or camping trip) helps to fulfill a dog’s natural instincts. As we know, many dogs are bred to actually work, and in today’s modern society, they in fact, do very little work (Hehehe). Additionally, carrying an appropriate amount of extra weight on a walk (via a well-fitting backpack) also helps to burn off extra calories and energy, so your doggie returns home in a calm, relaxed, well-exercised state.

Last but not least, here’s a traveling, collapsible bowl to take along on your hike or even just a short walk in warm weather-we need to keep hydrated you know! And it’s fine for kibble as well. Kyjen has a few different travel bowl designs, but this one’s called “Port-A-Bowl” and comes in two different sizes. This one’s the smaller of the two, holds 48 ounces, and comes in several different colors and patterns.

 Here I am having a nosh from my new bowl, albeit indoors. Does that make me an Inward Hound?

Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention the Designer Treat and Ball Bag, although it’s not part of the giveaway. It just the right size to hold a small ball and treats, appears to be made of the same sturdy material as the portable bowl, and clips onto a Parental Unit’s belt. Check it out below.

So we’ve finally arrived at the moment you’ve all been waiting for…entering this amazing giveaway!

Here’s what we’re asking you to do:
1. Comment on this post and indicate which of the three prizes you’d like to win. Also please indicate whether you’d be happy with any of the three.
2. Become an official Follower of this blog if you aren’t already.
3. And this time, we’re adding one more requirement: Please also follow us on my Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter. It takes but a minute, and you can access both via the icons right near the top of the sidebar-thanks!

You have until tomorrow evening, Thursday December 23rd at 8:00 pm EST, to enter. We will announce the three lucky winners tomorrow night.
Good luck one and all-we so very much appreciate your support!