SkyMall Monday: Chatter Talking Pet Bowl

by Mike Barish on

Sadly, there are no pets in the SkyMall Monday headquarters. I travel too much to have a dog and cats are just terrible. I had a turtle once, but I had to get rid of him when I discovered that he was anti-Semitic. But I know plenty of pet owners and they always feel terrible when they have to leave their animals home alone. They always worry that their pets will be lonely or miss them so much that they’ll just die. Or pee on the rug. I think only that second part may be true. I don’t always listen when other people talk. Especially about their pets. But I digress. I’m sure that pets get sad when they are alone, so what better way to remind them that they are loved by confusing them with a disembodied voice? Thankfully, SkyMall is prepared to perplex your pets with the Chatter Talking Pet Bowl.

The Chatter Talking Pet Bowl allows you to record a message that plays when your furry friend attempts to peacefully enjoy a snack. Surely your pet will love hearing your voice and then scouring the house to find you. Imagine his joy as he realizes that his loving owner is home and ready to play. Of course, he’ll think you live inside his food bowl, which is odd. But hey, you’re his magical owner who is capable of amazing things like providing him with food and rubbing his belly. No doubt you can also be inside his food dish and/or invisible.

Still don’t think that fooling your pet with a recorded voice is a brilliant idea? Think you’re better than me? Get off your high horse and read the product description:

Does your pet miss you when you’re away? Now your baby can hear your voice any time with the ChatterBowl talking pet bowl…the ChatterBowl helps keep your best friend company, even when you’re away from home.

Your pet needs you at all times. You can’t expect an animal that is entertained by shiny lights and car horns to occupy itself all day without you. It needs to hear your voice at all times just like you love to hear it too. Because you are so important.

So, love and confuse your pet with the Chatter Talking Pet Bowl. Your pet may not care, but you’ll be glad you did.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

Photo of the Day (4-15-09)

by Jamie Rhein on

The earth-toned colors and textures first caught my attention in this photo snapped in Panama by captaincartography. They remind me of the Painted Desert in Arizona and the Badlands in South Dakota. Then there are these fabulous boys intent on their dog. Such a simple scene, but captivating.

If you have a shot of a scene that caught your interest in your travels, send it our way at Gadling’s Flickr Photo Pool. It might be picked as a Photo of the Day.

Two dogs on a 2,000 mile walk from Austin to Boston

by Jamie Rhein on

Murphy and Hudson have been walking towards Boston from Austin, Texas for a year so far. Not by themselves. They’re bringing Luke Robinson along with them. The walk was Luke’s idea after another dog pal, Malcolm died of bone cancer.

Robinson decided to sell his truck, put his worldly goods in storage and hit the road with Murphy and Hudson, two Great Pyrenees at his side. The idea of the walk from Austin to Boston is to raise awareness about canine cancer. As they have walked, Hudson, Murphy and Robinson have visited veterinarian oncologists along the way to find out more about the disease that is often similar to the type of cancer humans get.

In this article I found in the Williamson Herald, Robinson said Murphy and Hudson are the ones who are walking him. Both dogs are sporting backpacks that hold their snacks while Robinson carries the heavy stuff. As the trio travels, they have been stopping at animal shelters to volunteer their services and at special events to draw attention to and help raise money for animal care.

The walk has provided an opportunity to experience the U.S. with a different view. Robinson recalls, for example, mosquitoes as “‘big as sparrows'” when they made their way through the Arkansas Delta last summer.

People can follow their route at the 2 dogs, 2000 miles website. Robinson is rallying people to join in the cause to help cure cancer in dogs, but also is happy to visit with folks who want to meet Murphy and Hudson in person.

According to their blog, Robinson and the boys are in Ohio will be at the Harcourt Veterinary Clinic in Mt. Vernon, Ohio this Saturday, and at the Wolf Run Bark Park on Sunday. The blog is updated regularly with details about their next event stops. From what I can tell, the trip is happening as it unfolds. There is room to meander as people offer support.

Five Sled Dog Adventures

by Kraig Becker on

With the holidays come and gone, and winter now fully set in, many of us start counting the days until spring is here and the warm weather returns. But winter can provide great opportunities for outdoor adventure, giving you plenty of reasons to bundle up and head out for some fun.

Take this story for example from CNN.com. It lists five of the best sled dog adventures that allow even inexperienced mushers to get out and have some fun. The trips vary in length from just a couple of hours all the way up to multiple days with prices scaling to match. Those looking to just go for a winter ride on sled can get by with a short, two hour trip that can cost less than $100, while the more adventurous can spend as much as $10,000 on a two-week expedition through the remote Yukon Territory with the Uncommon Journeys guide service.

Most of the guides mentioned in the CNN article are located in Alaska and Canada, but you’ll find others in the continental United States as well. Mahoosuc Guide Service in Maine is the example of this from the story, but there are others in Minnesota, Montana, Washington, and so on.

Traveling by sled dog can be a unique and rewarding way to see some of the most remote and pristine areas on the planet. So put on your warm clothes, bring some hot cocoa, and enjoy the ride.

Cultural Delicacies: Dogs (and cats!)

by Brenda Yun on

It is not uncommon for people to eat dog meat in parts of China, Korea, and the Philippines. Historically, in times of famine people in France and Germany ate dogs too. As a pet lover, I can’t bear the thought, but I know this practice is more far-reaching than meets the eye. Earlier this year, Honolulu experienced its own case of dog-eating men who stole, killed, and ate a couple’s beloved poi dog.

When traveling in third world countries and observing the poor treatment of street dogs, it is easier to understand the apathy that most possess for canines. I think it’s acceptable, too, that in desperate times people take desperate measures to stay alive. It’s unfathomable, however, that people would knowingly steal a pet for consumption. It doesn’t matter where you are or what your culinary practices are.
Complicating canine consumption with feline consumption and you now have a serious case on your hands. This is exactly the latest news coming from China: cat owners are now scared to leave their cats alone now because they disappear. People steal domestic cats now, killing them, and selling them for $1.32 per pound (the same price for lamb). Pet owners in China are speaking up. It appears even the Chinese are developing a conscience nowadays.

The eating of dog meat — or cat meat, for that matter — is a cultural practice that Westerners may never come to accept or understand. Maybe one day we can all be green-eating, tree-hugging consumers in a free world.