Give your felines reason to meow with delight this season

Retailers are aggressively marketing to people who love their felines and will buy anything for them. They are banking on getting us into the "brick-and-mortar" stores because feline shoppers are just as finicky as their felines. They must touch, feel and examine the product to be worthy of their feline.

There are some new products out there this year to make our lives easier in caring for our felines' basic needs from treats, food dispensers, carriers and some so over-the-top products that only tech people will get. The tech issue poses another interesting issue: this new technology that interacts with our pets when we are not home is not a baby sitter or a substitute for human interaction.

Let me start with food and treats. In the treat department, there are Delectables lickable treats for felines. Each pouch contains plenty of liquid with real meat and seafood with vegetables. I like them because they are marketed by life stage, age appropriate, including for kittens and our senior buddies. Older felines with some missing teeth just lap them up. I know, because my seniors love them.

Another bit of good mews for those of you that have been missing Kitty Kaviar from your specialty stores. Due to a corporate merger these 100 percent shaved Bonito fish flakes are back. These savory flakes are a great training tool - your feline will do anything for them and best of all they are high in protein and are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. These are treats that will not pack on pounds, given in moderation. When you see their price point, I am sure you will really just use them as a treat!

Next, the tech world gives us a challenge with tech bowls and dispensers. The idea behind these products is to control the amount of food our feline eats to prevent obesity and all the diseases associated with being overweight. I ask you, whatever happened to the concave bowl with the center missing to slow the eating process?

First up is the Intelligent Pet Bowl by Eyenimal, complete with its own LCD screen for programing. That same company has a smart pet feeder that allows you to program portions when you are not home. This gem even allows you to record a message for your feline. Petcube Bites will be in a store near you dispensing Wellness treats.

After food comes play. Some new interactive toys keep our cats busy when we are not home. Enter Rolling Ball by Eyenimal. This battery-operated rolling ball will have our felines running room-to-room. FroliCat has a wide range of laser toys for your felines to chase when you are not home. I have one caveat here: skip the feather version.

Remember when we used to shop in the dog aisle to find the right carrier? Feline carriers were never given mobility and wheels. Now Sleepypod has taken the feline carrier to a new level. They are promoting a feline bed that converts to a carrier and car seat for felines on the go-go! Just remember, when purchasing a carrier, it should reduce your cats' anxiety about travel and be safe and secure. These new carriers give our feline buddies wheels. Let's hope we can keep up! Happy shopping to keep your cat healthy, secure and safe.

Meows of delight from all of Buddy's cats and kittens this holiday season. Please come and give them a home this loving season. That will be the best gift of all for them. No pets as presents please.