At last I have found an online pet shop that sells ‘proper’ cat bling for a change. These collars are not cheap mind, my one set me back £24.99 which is a hell of a lot of money for any discerning cat owner with a normal job, but let me tell you that after opening the packaging, these collars are definitely worth the cost.

When you see the collar you understand the difference between Swarovski and Swarovski effect crystals. The genuine article looks simply stunning and the collar itself is made from good quality material which means that there is a good chance that it will not end up falling off your cat and getting lost in the hedge while they are out terrorising the mice!!!

Can I recommend the collar? Definitely. I purchased the pink one so I haven’t seen the other colours in the flesh, but if my one is anything to go by then you will not go far wrong.

The anti-lick strip is designed to stop animals from licking wounds or trying to remove dressings and It has an adhesive backing so you can stick it to bandages and plasters. I asked the rep to leave a sample with us so we could consider placing them on the site and she duly appliquéd, but it wasn’t long before we started wondering just how it worked….

it was being passed around the office and everyone was having a “sniff” so I piped up and made the suggestion “why doesn’t someone lick it”?  to which everyone replied “you lick it” and so I did.

I gave it a proper lick, not just a small one and within 3 seconds I was heaving!!! the tape is made up of  cayenne pepper, oregano leaf, lemon powder and clove oil. which doesn’t sound too bad on paper, but trust me, it tastes like s**t.

An hour has gone and I still cannot get rid of this disgusting taste out of my mouth and everyone in the office is giving me pelters. take my advice, if you want to stop your animal from licking something, use this tape, take it from me that it works.

I was going to sell the tape but after that experience I am sticking to the dog beds.

But you should see these leads, they are quite simply stunning! It is a retractable dog lead made by Flexi that has a touch of bling added in the form of Swarovski crystals. The lead I bought was the Spider lead which on one side has crystals formed in the shape of a large spider, with a small spider mounted on the other side. even the packaging is bling, with the leads presented in a beautiful black box with sliding draw.

Whether you get what you pay for is a matter of personal opinion, but I am well chuffed with my lead. I know it is a bit overkill but I don’t drink and I don’t smoke and I love my animals so why should I treat myself and my pooch? although my dog has to be the luckiest animal in the world….

If I was writing this blog entry as a review then I would give this lead a 9 out of 10. The only reason it wouldn’t get full makes is because of the cost which is a little bit too much for what you are getting in my opinion but that said, I would still pay the same again after seeing the lead.

right, im off to walk the dog. Thanks for reading my blog entry!!

P.S if you want to see these leads for yourself then visit this dog beds website where the leads are sold.

As I am dog bed mad I will probably go out and buy one anyway Scruffs make the beds and there are five different flavours to choose from. There is a matress, a box bed,  a sofa and my personal favourite, the kennel bed (which I have ordered).

So the dog now has a range of 3 beds to choose from in a 1 bedroom house, she is quite possibly the most spoilt dog in the world.

If anyone is interested then take a look at this dog beds review site where I got my bed from. Enjoy!!!

If anyone reading this blog has shopped around before for dog beds then they will know just how much choice there is out there on the internet. I literally spent hours searching all of the different shops online trying to find what I wanted, and I wanted something that wouldn’t look out of place in the living room. The search went on and it was getting to the point where I was ready to give up. Then, I hit the jackpot, a company that advertised “bespoke dog beds” which was exactly what I wanted. I found a “sofa” dog bed that looked perfect in the living room, they made the bed to my size and they even let me choose exactly what colour I wanted.

So now Cherry has her very own sofa in the living room and I get the original sofa back for myself. So a few days in and so far, Cherry has been as good as gold with the new purchase. I was a bit worried that it was too early to get her something smart but as of yet, the bed has remained unscathed (which is also very good for my wallet).

On the subject of dogs, I noticed in the news this week that DFS will be sponsoring crufts next year. Am I the only person that finds this a little odd??? Its one hell of a jump going from Pedigree pet foods to a sofa company and I fail to see the connection. Maybe DFS intend to make dog beds to sell on the high street, or maybe when we all head off to the NEC next year there will be plenty of comfortable seating for all of us!! Either way, I guess money talks and that is the main reason behind it, but it will be odd not having pedigree as the principle sponsor of the show.

I wonder what freebies DFS will give away? Leather samples? Miniature 2 seater sofas? My money is on money off token when you spend a grand on the latest sofa, Like you need money of when they have a 12 month sale…..

But not all bling dog collars should be dismissed out of hand, there are some nice examples out there that are not all bright pink and covered in crystals!! If you take the time to hunt around on the internet then you will find some stunning examples that would be fit for a Corgi.

when you pick a collar, try to think about your dogs comfort as much as how the collar looks. DON’T follow the trend and buy one of those nasty nylon numbers, they are cheap and contrary to popular opinion, they are not as comfortable as some people make out. if you are going to buy a leather collar then I would suggest going for a version that has a soft suede interior. These collars are very comfortable around the dogs neck and will not chaif.

Try to look for a collar made out of napper leather, this leather is soft which means it will break in quickly and will not stay rigid. Don’t always think that the quality lies in the thickness of the leather, I can promise you that a good quality napper leather collar will outlast a thick leather collar made from poor materials.

when buying online be sure that you are buying the right size. Some website advertise measurement by “tip to toe” length where as others may show their measurement from the buckle to the last hole. Be sure you know what type of measurements are being displayed and if you are not sure, contact them to find out.

The most important rule is “DONT BUY A COLLAR THAT IS TOO SMALL”. You should at least be able to fit your middle finger between the dog’s neck and the collar quite comfortably. If you cannot do this then the collar is too small. The flip side of the coin is not to buy a collar that is too large, this can prove just as uncomfortable and can also prove dangerous as a loose collar can mean your animal could escape its leash, and you don’t want that happening near a busy road.

I recommend the following website for some fantastic dog collars and dog beds and remember, comfort and quality should come before look and bling.