Tried and tested - pets - Tiscali Shopping

Are you looking for some new beauty products or some new appliances and finishing touches for the home? Take a look at this week's tried and tested products for inspiration on what's new in the market. Treat yourself to something gorgeous.

"John Paul Waterless Foam Shampoo for Dogs & Cats is the perfect cleanser for your pet who doesn't enjoy bathing. It helps to clean and refresh your pet's coat, without using water. It's a leave-on foam shampoo with an exclusive blend of botanicals. It helps to soothe skin with no rinsing and it's great to use during colder weather." - Buy online for £8.95

What our four-legged friends thought:
A sample sachet was used on our furry friend and it went down very well. It smelt gorgeous (I almost wanted to wash my own hair in it,) however, one sachet wasn't enough to wash a medium sized dog, you would probably need 2 or even 3 - but if you buy the bottle this problem would be solved. It was kind on my hands too, which was an added bonus.
 

"Vivo is a revolutionary range of aquarium products that helps children and their parents to get into fish-keeping. Vivo's Digi-care guide prompts children to feed their fish and maintain the water quality. Research with families shows that children take more notice of digital prompts than their parents!

Vivo's "no mess" filter means changing the filter cartridge is incredibly straight-forward - child's play in fact. The high specification of the filter also means that it is only necessary to perform a 20% water change every 4 weeks."

"The Vivo Aquarium is a complete cold-water aquarium starter kit: no other products are required to set up a healthy cold-water environment."

What we thought:
The starter kit is a fairly heavy piece of equipment that definitely requires parental supervision to assemble and manoeuvre.

The Vivo aquarium is made from shatterproof acrylic and comes with a low voltage power supply, which powers a small filter and some discrete LED lighting concealed within the domed canopy. What I really like about The Vivo is that it has a digital display panel on the front of the aquarium. This serves to warn the owners when the tank needs to be cleaned or maintained. The perfect reminder for children and saves nagging from parents!

The aquariums also come with a unique choice of decor. Each includes an eight-piece obstacle course for fish to swim through, and you can upgrade the system by installing a theme-pack to make their Vivo look completely different such as a Haunted House or Space Station.

The aquarium is backed by a full range of accessories including an airpump, automatic feeder, test kit and water treatments, which could proove to be expensive in the longer term.

Other than the general design you can tell that it is aimed at children because it includes filtration and provides better guidance in the care of the fish in a very useful handbook.

  £47.99

The RICHYPUCCI range of pet coats are available in a "selection of sizes, styles and colours to suit most dog breeds...particular attention has been placed to pet comfort, protection from the elements, practicality, fit and style."

We tested the York Wax Cotton (£40) and the Aston Sports Fleece (£35) on two very obliging dogs, Tessie and Ruby.

Pros: Very designer-like, the jackets look and feel well-made, as though they could withstand even the most energetic dogs. For the smaller dog, the Aston Sports Fleece is wonderfully cute, colourful and the warm fleece lining would certainly keep your dog cosy on a brisk walk during the winter months. With adjustable poppers, you can also ensure a snug fit as your dog grows.

Cons: My only reservation with the smaller jackets was the number of fastenings - it was a struggle putting it on my dog. She's very excitable and wriggly and the numerous poppers on the underside of the coat were very tricky to close - I gave up in the end and only did up 1-2 of them (which on a small dog is sufficient). Also, the toggles at the front tended to irritate her - she kept trying to chew them off.

Quite a pricey but if you love your pooch, then a RICHYPUCCI outfit is a must for Christmas.

Reviewed November 2006
 

"Once the impregnated collar tag is unwrapped, the essential oils will slowly evaporate and be released into the air, ready for your pet to inhale. "

What we liked: Easy to attach to your dogs collar and a nice smell. As it's made out of plastic and not metal it means it doesn't jingle against anything else attached to the collar.
What we didn't like: Not a lot and the dog's didn't take an obvious dislike to them, although it's hard for them to tell us exactly what they thought!
  £4.00

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