Pierre: The head peep is back from Global Pet Expo. She keeps saying her feet hurt. We don’t understand. Didn’t she just sit around and do this all day?
Head Peep: Actually, I didn’t. While you guys were sleeping it off all day, I was walking around the huge pet expo. It was pretty amazing. They said that if you walked the perimeter of the show, it was a mile, and if you walked all of the aisles, it was four miles full of companies with products for all kinds of animals.
Trends I noticed:
- There are a dizzying number of foods marketing themselves as natural. it’s great that there are so many options, but it has to be confusing to consumers to know which is the best to pick for their cats.
- Aesthetics matter! My favorite beautiful design from the show was the Astoria scratcher from Architect Pets, but there are brands I who used to make nothing but molded plastic bowls a few years ago who are now making products from higher quality materials in noticeably higher end looks.
- Technology is everywhere. From ways to see and interact with your cats while you are away to doors and even bowls that recognize your cat’s microchip, companies are using technology to help us with our cats in really interesting ways.
- There are lots and lots of calming products hitting the market now. Mostly supplements, but also coats or wraps. I imagine that a lot of this is due to the huge success of the Thundershirt, and it’s interesting to see that even though that success came primarily for a dog product, there are new things showing up for cats in that market, too.
Other things I noticed:
- There is still an ongoing inequality between the number of dog products vs. cat products. Yes, I know that there are more dollars spent on dog products vs cat products, but of there were nearly 5 new dog products for every new cat product. That was a little disappointing. Come on, manufacturers! Spoiled kitties are out counting on you!
- I met some wonderful small companies selling wonderful cat products who were totally clueless about cats. Some of them admitted the didn’t even own cats! I’m so glad they’re making products for the cat market anyhow, but that surprised me.
Totally awesome stuff:
- I met several other cat bloggers for the first time: Tamar from I Have Cat, Deb from Chronicles of Zee and Zoey, Ingrid from The Conscious Cat, and Jodi from Holistic and Healthy Cats by Jodi Z. The opportunity to spend time with other cat bloggers (and some dog bloggers, too!) was fantastic.
- I discovered really innovative products from small companies I never would have heard of on my own. Some of them are tiny companies with great ideas I really hope will succeed because I think they’ll make our kitties lives a little better.
- Several booths had adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens, and social media at the end of the show was abuzz with stories of how they were adopted by expo attendees and headed to new forever in various parts of the US… and in at least one instance, outside the country!
The whole experience was great. I’m now so tired, I don’t think I can even wave Da Bird around.
Pierre: Good help is so hard to find. I hope you at least brought us some swag.
Newton: She did! I’ll check that out and report back on it later.
I am so glad you got to go – I had to miss it this year. You really covered a lot of ground and I enjoyed reading your points of view. I love that adoptions were part of the mix, too. Get some rest! Next year is just around the corner.
It looks like your peep had a good time. Did she gain any clues as to why cat food costs three times as much as dog food?
Sounds like quite an event with so many choices of things. I think that probably the reason for more dog items, is that dog people do tend to spend more on their dogs. But that is just my opinion. Anyway, glad the Mom had a good time. Take care and have a good day.
We’re glad that your mom had good time, and most impawtant, that she brought some stuff back for you ! Mum says that she’s lucky to have met other cat bloggers IRL (she would like to too)… Purrs
If marketed effectively I think Cat people would spend as much on their cats as those who own dogs do. I see the difference in items being marketed for dogs vs cats and it is disappropriated.Thank you for sharing your thoughts sounds like a great place to look over all the wonderful new products.
We’re glad your Mom enjoyed herself and we hope she brought you lots of goodies when she came home.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Mom said she got tuckered out just reading about all the things you did and saw and all the miles you walked!!!
Kick up your feets and rest
hugs madi
The mom says the pet expo sounds like it was great fun…and informative too! And how nice that you got to meet some other blogging humans. Thanks for the wrap up!
Inneresting facts about the trade show. I wonder if my Aunt Karen’s company Ask Naturals were there. Can’t wait to see your loot Newton.
Well, I see that I am going to have to extract the plastic card from the Human’s wallet, MOL! Love the look of those scratchers! I’m anxious to see all the swag you gotted too.
Excellent reporting, Peep! We kitties agree, we NEED more spoiling. Badly.
Now, bring on the Swag Report!
Well, iffen her feet hurt, go sit on them. You can afford a little warmth.
Wow, sounds like the Head Peep had such a great time! We are anxious to see the goodies she brought back for you all!
It was so nice to spend time with you, Julie! I’m still working on recovering and sorting through the massive amounts of material I brought home.
Wonderful meeting you in person, Julie! As this event was so extensive, I will be posting in the next couple of weeks to come just to talk about it all! Really enjoyed hanging out with you at the Purina reception and sharing blogging and cat stories!
Sounds like a great experience! Can’t wait to see the goodies the Head Peep brought home!
Wish we could have been there with you! Looking forward to meeting you in May! Love, Deb, Tamar and Ingrid!!! Great ladies!!!!