You will never catch Hallie Gelb giving her 1-year-old Maltese dog tap water in his bowl. Gelb believes that Riley deserves the best -- he gets purified water. "You don't realize how many bad things are in the water," she said. Gelb also said she cooks all of Riley's food. "We use food from grocery stores, so why shouldn't he?" she said. "He's not a dog to me. He is my son. His diet is so important to his health and longevity." Gelb, 25, of Beachwood, Ohio, is part of a growing number of pet owners who shower their pets with clothing, spa products, beds, jewelry. "He has a full line of clothing -- drawers upon drawers of clothing," Gelb said. "He gets groomed every three weeks, and I brush him for a half-hour every day." Additionally, Gelb orders handmade bows for Riley from Lainee Limited, which is located in Philadelphia. She pays about $7 for a pair. "They are all handmade and they are starched, so you can use them over and over again," Gelb said. Doggie Spa Riley also attends doggie daycare at the recently opened Doggie Spa Riley also attends doggie daycare at the recently opened Barkley Pet Hotel and Spa. "It's a Ritz-Carlton style hotel for pets," said Gelb. "You walk in and say, This is not a place for pets.' It's luxurious. It's absolutely beautiful. It's amazing." The facility falls in line with how Gelb believes her Riley should be treated. "Riley is absolutely the king -- what can I say?" she said. Barkley Pet Hotel and Spa. "It's a Ritz-Carlton style hotel for pets," said Gelb. "You walk in and say, This is not a place for pets.' It's luxurious. It's absolutely beautiful. It's amazing." The facility falls in line with how Gelb believes her Riley should be treated. "Riley is absolutely the king -- what can I say?" she said. Lap Of Luxury The Barkley, in Orange Village, Ohio, provides soothing music and comfortable bedding in Canine Quarters, as well as cat condominiums and a tropical fish tank in Kitty City. Howard Perlmuter, the owner, knows that many pet owners want the best for their pets. He kept this in mind when developing the plan for the pet hotel. It offers petite suites designed for puppies and small breeds; standard suites that are 24-square feet and include lambskin bedding; Barkley Park suites, which feature natural garden views and include sounds of trickling water and in-suite televisions; and executive poolside suites. A petite suite or standard suite costs $29 a night. The Barkley Park Suite goes for $49 a night, and the executive poolside suite is $65. While staying at the hotel, pets can also visit the grooming salon for aromatherapy bath, a bubble bath pawdicure, a facial or a coat-brightening treatment, Perlmuter said. A pawdicure runs $15, while a whitening treatment costs $10. Bringing The Spa Home Not all pet owners take their dogs to facilities like the Barkley. Some provide a spa-like treatment at home. Kim Prewitt usesHappytails Canine Spa products on her Shi-Tzu in the six weeks between her $40 grooming appointments. "The Fur Butter is like an exfoliate for dogs. Diamond loves it," Prewitt said. Kevin Fisher, the company's owner, said, "Fur butter is an ultra-rich deep-conditioning cream that you apply right after washing the dog. You massage it in for a few minutes and, of course, all dogs and most humans love a good massage." Fur butter is $19. Diamond also has several pieces of clothing, such as a T-shirt with the word "Security," a pink sweater and a pink faux-leather jacket, Prewitt said. She also has a personalized collar that says, "Miss D." Bling-Bling Amanda Sealover has two dogs and a cat, and she likes for all of them to have "a little bling." About a year ago, she wanted a charmed necklace for her long-haired Chihuahua, but said she couldn't justify spending $300 on one. Instead, she bought Swarovski crystals and pearls and made one. "People where oohing and ahhing at the dog park," Sealover said. "So I started making necklaces for friends' dogs." Before long, Sealover had set up a web-based business, Sugar -- A Pet Boutique, selling pearls and bling-bling necklaces for dogs of all sizes, ranging from $20 and up, based on collar size. Her jeweled collar ran $40. Prewitt said the jacket was $25 and her T-shirts and sweaters usually run about $25 each. "I have gotten to the point that I like to buy something for Diamond when I buy something for myself or for my daughter," Prewitt said. Share The Wealth "There is a need for it," Sealover said. "People want to share their wealth with their pets." Catherine Nowak, owner of The Diva Dog in Colorado, knows all too well how pet owners want to spend money on their pets. She offers designer-inspired beds and toys, such as the Chewell No. 5 toy -- $12.95 -- as well as the Sniffany and Co. and Furcedes dog beds, which cost about $349 for a small bed and $400 for a large. She also offers high-end items from Paris Hilton's dog clothing line and Juicy Couture. The high-end dog clothing starts at about $60 and runs to hundreds of dollars. Nowak said she once got a call from a customer who wanted to spend $2,000 for an entire pet wardrobe. Pampering In Stages Nowak also said pet owners fall in different stages of pet pampering. An entry-level pet owner that pampers will buy a T-shirt or a diamond-studded dog collar. After the owner becomes more comfortable spending money, they move to the next stage. She said that's when the human realizes that there is "an ugly dog bed is in the corner of their nicely-decorated home, and they need a chic dog bed" to complete the look. After reaching that level, there is no turning back. Regular toys will just not do, she said. Instead, there is a need for martini glasses and Jimmy Chews shoes. "If you are going to have squeaky toys lying around your house, they should be fabulous," she said. She said that pet owner believed that their pet deserved the absolute best.
Haha, Sasha is spoiled, but she's not very high maintenance like her mommy. Her bed is a laundry basket filled with Todds clothes he does not wear anymore...and she'll chew on whatever. She loves people food and ice cubes are her most favorite drink.
I think that people who pamper their pets to that degree simply have too much money and time on their hands. Little Cat does get bottled water. And once a month she gets milk or vanilla ice cream. she doesn't like people food. Only Deli Cat and 9-lives Chicken or Super Supper, Fancy Feast Chicken or Beef Feast. She doesn't even like fancy toys or cat treats. Her favorite game is to chase a string. And her Gameboy of course.
I agree...its crazy to spend that kind of money on a pet....but when I read it...I thought of all of you love that your dog sleeps in a clothes basket Kristen, that is too cute. and Dennis....bottled water? lol at least she's little and doesn't drink much. :wink:
I give her bottled water because when I lived in Florida her water would get quite warm. So i would keep a jug of water chilled for her in the fridge.... and top her bowl off throughout the day. She's just used to getting a cool drink when I'm home
you should get one of these....they have it where the water is chilled before it comes out: [media=youtube]ULC1QO6LhAc[/media] but I think you would have to have a set of stairs for Little Cat. Don't think she would be tall enough from what you have described. :wink:
Little Cat is pretty much normal sized. she's just all fur. When she's wet she's all legs and arms and head
It is quite cute actually...and the basket in the closet. :lol: :lol: But as soon as we go to bed, she walks right into her closet and curls up. It's a weird closet, there is a door in the bedroom and in the dining room, so you can walk right through it. I keep the door in the dining room shut though while we sleep. But it's great cuz during the day I close off the bedroom (so they don't sleep on the bed-allergies) and leave the door in the dining room open so she can still sleep in her bed. I'll have to take a picture or her sleeping if I think of it tonight.
