Fur Sure
Shopping isn’t just for humans. But your four-legged friends can’t shop online, so they rely on you to pick out the best food, the coolest toys, and the tastiest treats.
Local pet supply stores make it easy for you to keep your best friend healthy and engaged, plus you could even shop together for something special.
Growing Trade Pet & Plant
3840 Spring Grove Ave.
Cincinnati OH 45223
growingtradestore.com
At Growing Trade Pet & Plant, a Northside mainstay, you’ll find food, toys, supplements, and more for your dogs and cats, but you’ll also find everything you need for birds, backyard livestock, and even wildlife.
“Anything with catnip in it is popular with cats,” says Kathy Long, one of the store’s owners.
The store also sells a number of laser toys which are fun for both cats and humans. Long says that the “fishing pole” toys (wands with feathers or other attachments) are also popular. “Those are always a high-seller!”
For dogs, natural hemp rope toys are popular, and available in a variety of sizes. “They’re good for tugging, throwing, and chewing,” Long says. As an added bonus, the toys also help keep teeth clean.
A popular treat for dogs are the collagen chews, an alternative to traditional rawhide treats. “These are more digestible, cheaper, and longer-lasting than rawhide,” Long says.
Argos – East Walnut Hills
2801 Woodburn Ave.
Argos – Madeira
7713 Camargo Road
www.argospet.com
Argos, with stores in East Walnut Hills and Madeira and planned expansion into Pleasant Ridge, specializes in their own, specially-crafted, private line of pet food. But they also offer toys, treats, and grooming items.
Their best selling dog treat is beef lung, which they sell by the pound. For toys, treat mazes – where you can hide treat for your dog to fine – are a popular choice. “They come in a range of sizes, so dogs small to large can get mental stimulation,” says Simon Coriell, who runs the East Walnut Hills shop.
For cats, their line of freeze-dried treats, made in-house, are a hot item. “Duck liver is the most popular,” says Coriell.
Pet Wants began in 2010, focused on creating fresh, nutritional pet food delivered right to consumers. Since the, the store has expanded beyond food, now offering toys, treats, and accessories, at 90 locations across 27 states.
Pet Wants – Findlay Market
1813 Pleasant St.
petwantscincy.com
(with locations around the region)
Keeping with that ethos, one of Pet Wants’ current best sellers is their house-made beef jerky. “It’s made with human-grade ingredients, we just don’t add spices,” says Dea Dressman at the Findlay Market location.
The Fluff & Tuff toys are popular, too. These “super cute” stuffed animals stand up to tough chewers.
“Nothing is indestructible,” says Dressman, “but they are very well made.”
Cats love their house-made, freeze dried shrimp and smelt treats. For a little fun, Dressman recommends the “hilarious” Mad Cat toys. How can you go wrong with a Sasquatch stuffed with catnip?
Petey’s Pet Shop
311 Howell St.
www.peteyspetstop.com
“People love local,” says Beth McCarty, the co-owner of Petey’s Pet Shop. One example are the Brewhaus Dog Bones, made in town by a non-profit organization that creates the handcrafted, small batch, oven baked dog treats from whole grains proudly sourced from local Cincinnati microbreweries.
Cats love toys that allow them to be physical and get some exercise, with the aptly named SlimCat being a popular brand, according to McCarty.
“Toys that are made from natural and environmentally friendly materials, like West Paw and Bark Bones, are also popular,” McCarty says. “And things made in the United States.”
The Fruitables line of dog treats are made with pumpkin, cranberries, blueberries, and other natural ingredients. Snook's Pet Products, a family-owned company based in Oregon, is famous for their Sweet Potato Dog Chews.
“Those are wonderful for the belly and the teeth,” McCarty says.