Pets – The Review Studio

Vamoosh Washing Machine Cleaner

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

As autumn arrives, we end up using the washing machine for more clothes, more layers and bulkier keep-warm items. If you have pets, then you’ll find that their long hair is coming in and so there’s more chance of your washing machine clogging up!

Vamoosh Cleans have a special Christmas edition of their washing machine cleaner in Spiced Apple fragrance. The Vamoosh cleaning crystals are easy to us. Add a packet to the washing machine dispenser drawer and with the drum completely empty, put the washing machine on the hottest cycle you have. For most machines, this is around 90 Celcius. A normal length cycle should do the trick.

Vamoosh is different to other washing machine cleaners on the market because it dissolves hair. This is essential in a washing machine that gets clogged up because hair can stay hidden in the pipes for a long time and cause not just smells, but parts to break that will need replacing. It also eliminates residues and limescale with powerful cleaning, and eradicates 99.9% of bacteria too, which often causes a lot of the smells.

After a cycle of Vamoosh Spiced Apple, my washing machine was cleaner and fresher with a glow about the window of the drum that was like having your windows cleaned! I’ll be cleaning my washing machine more often now, in the knowledge that I’ll be eliminating bacteria too.

Available from £9.99 for two sachets at: https://vamooshcleans.com/products/washing-machine-cleaner-pink-grapefruit-for-deep-cleaning-washing-machines

Unwritten Nala The Frenchie Puppy Candle

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, eco friendly, Fragrance, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Pets

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

French Bulldog owners will love the Unwritten Puppy Candle with Nala the Frenchie being the star of the show! This is a beautiful candle in the shape of a Frenchie (called Nala, naturally) that makes the perfect gift this Christmas.

With intricate design, this candle stands around 16 centimetres (about 5 inches) high and portrays a sitting Frenchie puppy in a white/cream natural wax. The design is exclusive to Unwritten so you won’t find it anywhere else around the world and the wax is blended with a delicious vanilla-like scent that fills your home even if the candle isn’t lit, known as cold scent throw. There are lots of scents to choose from including Lavender & Chamomile, Rose, Jasmine and we were sent Sandalwood & Vanilla. You really get a hit of the scent when you open the box and even though the candle is wrapped up, I can see why they call it cold scent throw! Unwrapping it, the tiny details around Nala’s eyes and nose are visible, just as if it was a fine art painting.

The candle is quite heavy, and it’s not recommended to put it straight onto a polished surface so I used a candle plate in the fireplace. It’s easy to light and burn down, and with lighting, more scent is thrown out to fill the room. You don’t need other scented candles lit at the same time as the fragrance would probably be overpowering but the vanilla essence filled my room like a diffuser. The scent lingers a little too, and the candle itself still throws out scent even when it’s been lit and then extinguished.

Unwritten use a unique blend of their own wax that doesn’t include any genetically modified ingredients, palm oil or paraffin so you won’t get any unnecessary smells and it’s better for the environment too.

The Unwritten website has lots more on offer including tens of other candle puppies, making it an amazing online shop for any dog lovers. You’ll also be surprised by the array of other candles on offer too which would be fabulous on the table at Christmas, or to gift to friends, especially dog lovers!

£48.99: https://www.un-written.co.uk/products/nala-the-frenchie

Dog – The Original book

Birthday Gifts, Books, Christmas, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Pets, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Bring a smile to the face of dog lovers this Christmas with the coffee table book Dog – The Originals.

The brainchild of Yasmin, the owner of Chilli the Chihuahua who is the internet diva and social media sensation @chilliwawa on Instagram, this book is for all dog lovers! The Chilliwawa community is based on creativity and acts as an outlet for anxiety for both Yasmin and Chilli – and Sukhi the sidekick!

The book features lots of online dog influencers, and not just chihuahuas either. There’s tales of dogs from all over the world with details of their Instagram accounts and an interview with each dog. Yasmin (or maybe it was Chilli?) asked them about their pet peeves, wise wisdom and what the naughtiest thing is they’ve ever done! Each page is adorned with different photos of the dogs as well as some gorgeous double page spreads of photos too.

The book is a celebration of not just dogs, but how dogs support us in life and give us unconditional love. 50% of the proceeds of the book are being given to charity, and there’s details in the book of the charity Yasmin has chosen – The Unstoppable Dogs in Huntington Beach, California; a charity for dogs with special needs.

For dog lovers, as a stocking filler or to bring a smile to someone’s face, Chilli and his gang of beautiful dogs is great for Christmas.

Available online from £29.99 (50% of the price goes to charity) at:

https://book.chilliwawa.com

Soopa Plant-Based Dog Treats

Christmas, Pets, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you are plant based, then you’ll probably want your dog to be too! Soopa have brought out a range of plant-based dog treats based around fruit and vegetables which add extra nutrients to your pet’s diet and some delicious flavours too. We were sent a box of new flavours, especially for Christmas, to try out on the office pooches.

In the range this year are Dental Sticks and Healthy Bites (lovely flower shaped treats) in Gingerbread Biscuit and Pumpkin Spiced Latte flavours, and a Christmas Selection Box with Cranberry & Sweet Potato flavoured Superfood Sticks and Healthy Bites. These all sound very nutritious to me and the fact that they are plant based is intriguing! The company Soopa was started by Barbara for her dog Lily after Barbara saw the health problems of the dogs coming into her grooming business. Most of the problems she saw included obesity, diabetes and allergies which were caused or made worse by commercial foods. Barbara wanted to create a food for her dog Lily to enjoy and be healthier than other foods on the market.

All of the Soopa foods include 100% human food grade products. They’re low in calorie too with the Soopa Healthy Bites each containing just 3 calories per treat. The ingredients are not just seasonal either with some of the treats and sticks containing food which benefits too. For example, the Gingerbread Biscuit Dental Sticks contain cranberry and ginger to aid digestion, reduce inflammation and boost urinary tract health. The Pumpkin Spiced Latte Dental Sticks also aid digestion and promote a shiny, healthy coat too. Each of the treats with the same ingredients support your dog in the same way too.

I really like the idea of the Soopa Christmas Selection Box as a treat for your dog or a gift for Christmas Day and the rest of the family to open. The Cranberry & Sweet Potato (with natural flaxseed) sticks and bites are also grain free and actually smell lovely, not like meat at all, and are very Christmassy!

It’s no secret that dogs love vegetables as well as meat so you would be helping their overall diet by adding something other than chicken or beef to their daily meals. The added health benefits of natural, food grade veggie ingredients can only further support their health and give them some variety too, plus dogs will love the low calorie treats without you feeling guilt about giving them!

Soopa Dental Sticks £4.20: https://soopapets.com/collections/new-products/products/strawberry-dog-quiri-dental-sticks-copy

Christmas Selection Box £6.99: https://soopapets.com/products/cranberry-sweet-potato-christmas-selection-box?_pos=1&_sid=0d39009ed&_ss=r

Pearhead Clay Pawprint Desk Frame

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, cruelty-free, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Pets

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

When working away from the home office, or indeed if you like to have photos of your loved ones around you in the house, this Pawprint Desk Frame is a great Christmas gift for pet lovers.

One side of the wooden frame holds a 4×6 inch photo whilst the other side is a box frame for a paw print. The frame can be desk mounted or hung on a wall but the star of the show is the keepsake clay pawprint which occupies the second of the two frames.

The clay is included in the kit as is the frame, complete with glass. Preparation is minimal with the non-toxic clay rolled out onto aluminium foil (a rolling pin is included but the foil isn’t) and then with a bit of persuasion, the paw of your cat or dog (or both if they fit!) needs to be impressed onto the clay. The clay is then left to dry for 48 hours before it can be put in the frame but you don’t need to bake it or heat it at all.

There’s no reason why you need to stop at a cat or dog. Hamster or guinea pig feet could just as easily be imprinted, or the feather of a bird could be pressed into the clay. Other items like a collar tag could be embedded as well, as long as it wasn’t too heavy. The Pearhead Clay Pawprint Desk Frame can be a wonderful keepsake for a pet’s memory or even for a new puppy or kitten’s first Christmas.

Available from £19.99 at: https://www.pearhead.co.uk/collections/pet-frames/products/clay-pawprints-desk-frame-copy

Pearhead Pawprint Ornament and Pawprint Ink Desk Frame

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, cruelty-free, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Pets

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Christmas with pets has exploded in recent years, and so have the Christmas decorations and keepsakes. Pearhead have some excellent pet-inspired keepsakes for 2024 which will stay with you for years to come, and the children will love making the memories.

Starting with the Pearhead Pawprint ornament, you will love this kit and making up the keepsake with your cat or dog. The kit contains everything you need including the circular frame, ribbons, hole punch and of course the impression material. It’s really simple so children will love to do this on a rainy afternoon before Christmas. The impression material doesn’t need water or anything else added to it, just roll it out and place on aluminium foil. The paw should be wet before the impression is made and you might need someone to hold down a squirming pet but it doesn’t take long to get the imprint. Use the circle frame to create the perfect ornament shape and the hole cutter to make the hole for the ribbon. Leave to dry for 48 hours but no need to bake or heat it to dry. Once it’s made, you can hang the pawprint on the Christmas tree or if you are feeling arty, children might like to paint it and date it!

The second pet keepsake is the Ink Pawprint Desk Frame. One side of the frame is for a photo (probably of your pet cat or dog) and the other side is an ink frame. The term “ink” isn’t what it seems though because the pet paw doesn’t actually go in ink. Instead, it creates an ink impression with the kit that’s included so the weight of their paw makes the image, not the actual ink. There’s no mess and no toxic anything for the pet to lick later and it doesn’t mean you have to be outdoors or clean up after the artwork is made. It’s another one that the children will love to help out with!

Both items make great presents either for pet lovers or for families who have a beloved cat or dog.

Pawprint Ornament available from £9.99: https://www.pearhead.co.uk/collections/pet-christmas/products/pawprints-ornament-copy

Pawprint Ink Desk Frame available from £19.99:

ink pawprints desk frame

Doodlebone Dog Leads

Autumn, Christmas, Family Life, Home, Pets, Winter

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Why did no one think of this before? A dog lead with lights on it!

These dog leads are not only functional but they’re super stylish with their practical lights on them and different colours. They charge up with a USB lead which is included (it’s only about 20 centimetres long though) which you plug into your computer and then charge the lead with it. The button is near the collar and once you press it, the led lights keep flashing. There are several settings though, from fast flash, slow flash and then on continuously. Depending on which lead you purchase, the lights are either white or coloured lights – so you can tell which dog is which in the dark just by the leads!

The leads are rechargeable in less than a hour and the lights continue on for around 8 hours. You have to switch them off yourself though with the button on the control. They look really stylish in low light and are essential when it’s really dark, which is quite often in winter when you’re in a park or woodland that isn’t lit at all.

The leads come in 2 colours (black and red) and there are various sizes. You have to measure the girth and breast of your dog and the website calculates which size you need. The leads are all 25 millimetres but the lengths are different. We were sent a length of 130 centimetres which was ample for a medium sized dog. The lead is made of a wipe-clean material and even though it has lights included, it’s water resistant (although not waterproof so not good if your dog likes a swim!) and the USB charging point has a close on it to stop mud or water getting into the socket.

Make your mind up if this is a gift for you or for your dog but either way, it’s a brilliantly fun plus safety conscious idea!

Available online from £25 at: https://doodlebone.co.uk/led-lead

Multi Dog Collar from Pampeano

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Home, Pets, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

With the approach of Christmas, most of us with pets turn our attention to showering them with love during the festive season, and Pampeano has the ultimate solution with this luxury leather dog collar.

The Multi is the most popular style of belt in the Pampeano range, so it’s only natural that they make the same style, and quality, available for your pooch as well! Made with Argentinian leather and crafted in the heart of Argentina it is fashioned with red, cream, light blue, navy and racing green colours. The sturdy buckle also takes the weight of a lead, and if you’re feeling co-ordinated, Pampeano also have the Multi design leather lead to compliment this dog collar!

The Pampeano dog collar is available in sizes from XXS (for dogs such as Chihuahuas) right up to XL for dogs such as German Shepherds and a total of 6 sizes in all. Have a look at their web page to determine which size collar your dog will need. If you’re giving this as a gift, it’s worth noting that it comes in a handy cotton pouch that makes it easier to wrap or box for Christmas.

With the workmanship of all the Pampeano range, I can imagine this collar will last a lifetime, and with the distinct design you’ll be able to locate it anywhere in the house, or whilst you and the dog are out and about. If you and your dog love matching too, then the collar, lead and your very own Multi belt are a must this Christmas!

Available from £45 at: https://www.pampeano.com/collections/dog-collars/products/dog-collar-multi

Burns New Sensitive & Grain Free Cat, Duck & Potato Food

Gluten Free, health, Pets

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Burns Dog & Cat Food has been producing pet food sine 1993 when Veterinary Surgeon John Burns created a version of Chicken and Brown Rice food for dogs. Since then, he’s gone on to create more flavours for both cats and dogs and maintained his goal of providing foods which have less toxic waste build-up in the system. This holistic approach helps promote healthy skin and digestive system in animals and has been for over 30 years.

We were sent the Burns Sensitive & Grain Free Cat, Duck & Potato food from Burns to try on out on our senior cat. Meet Mickey! Mickey is 12 years old and as mischievous as ever, but as soon as he hears food he’s right at the door, waiting to be fed. Of course, he loves the attention too…

The Burns Sensitive range is new to the family of foods, and the Adult & Senior Cat complex is a complete, hypoallergenic and grain free food. The recipe contains different ingredients compared to other foods which help avoid common food allergies (such as gluten) and naturally maintain your cat’s health.

On the back of the packet, there’s a handy guide of how much to feed your cat depending on its age and weight and whether it’s senior or neutered. The pictorial guide also helps you distinguish whether your cat is under or overweight, obese or the right size.

As Mickey is rather overweight (we try not to mention it around him to spare his feelings) we didn’t give him a whole meal, just a small handful to see if he liked it at first! It’s always best to introduce food slowly to a cat’s diet. He doesn’t normally have food which contains duck let alone potato so it was interesting to see what he did with it. You can see how keen he was though! He ate every little bit of it that he could find on the table and was nudging the bag to look for more, no doubt being able to smell it. It was a hit with Mickey!

Over time, Burns Sensitive & Grain Free Cat, Duck & Potato Food should improve his digestion and coat, and if Mickey has anything to do with it, it will be part of his staple diet from now on!

From £3.60 for 300g: https://burnspet.co.uk/cat-food/cat-sensitive-grain-free/

Dog Keychain from Kikkerland

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Pets, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Dog lovers, this one is for you!

The Kikkerland dog keychain is exactly what it says it is – a keyring that’s in the shape of a dog! No more losing your keys on the long dog walks across the fields or into the woods, this sturdy keychain can hold all of your keys and more.

Made of zinc alloy, it’s durable, doesn’t rust and won’t bend out of shape and is lightweight too. The screw closure ensures that all your keys are safe and the hollow outline of the dog face means you’ll be able to add more keyrings or keys to the chain. The unique shape also means you’ll be able to put your hand in your pocket and find your dog keyring easily. At just £9 it’s great for Secret Santa or as a gift which can be posted as it’s flat and so light.

This is a great Secret Santa for dog lovers or collectors of keyrings, looks stylish and like all Kikkerland products, will last for ages!

Available from £9.00 at:

Dog Keychain