A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

Our Pet Editor’s 14 Picks for Celebrating National Pet Day This Year

Celebrate National Pet Day this year with our resident pet expert's favorite picks, each guaranteed to inspire wags of approval and purrs of delight.

National Pet Day is celebrated on April 11, and if you’ve never considered partaking in the festivities, now is the perfect time to start. Celebrate your furry friend by showering them in treats and tools guaranteed to get their tail wagging—and make your life as a pet parent just a little easier. Read on for our pet editor’s top National Pet Day picks.
You can also buy gifts for your furry best friend at the pet sale!

Super Chewer Bark Box Ecomm Via Barkbox
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Super Chewer Bark Box

To treat your furry friend this National Pet Day, sign up for a subscription Bark Box designed for dedicated chewers. Each one comes with two tough chew toys and an assortment of yummy treats. Watch for the signs your pooch needs some extra affection, and spoil him with a Bark Box designed just for him.

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Furminator Deshedding Tool Ecomm Via Amazon
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Furminator

National Pet Day coincides with the spring shedding season. The Furminator helps me battle drifts of fuzz my Shadow-Pup and Karma-Kat deposit on every surface. This de-shedding tool works wonders to help you get rid of pet fur where it doesn’t belong (we’re fans of the ChomChom Roller, too).

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Zen Clippers For Cats Ecomm Via Amazon
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Zen Clippers for Cats

Do you clip your cat’s claws? You should, and Zen Clippers make it easy. The design prevents you from clipping too short or catching paw fur. My Karma-Kat acts bored when I snip his nails, and both you and your cat will appreciate this easy-to-use grooming tool.

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Zen Clippers Dogs Ecomm Via Amazon
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Zen Clippers for Big Dogs

We can’t leave out the big dogs, can we? Not only are Great Danes one of the most affectionate dog breeds, they also have jumbo-size paws and claws. This adjustable Zen Clipper dials up or down to fit the size of your dog’s claws. I got this for my Bullmastiff and Great Dane, Bravo, and it made his nail trims a breeze.

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Doc Phoebes Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Ecomm Via Amazon
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Doc & Phoebes Indoor Hunting Cat Feeders

Cats love to hunt but they turn into couch potatoes if given half a chance. Felines evolved to eat several mouse-sized portions a day, not to munch from a bowl. The Doc & Phoebes feeders provide cats with a species-appropriate way to eat and get them to move their furry tails. You can use these for treats or for a no-bowl meal experience.

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Aquapaw Slow Treater Lick Ecomm Via Chewy
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Aquapaw Slow Treater Licking Mat

I frequently recommend products like the Aquapaw Slow Treater to encourage dogs or cats to hold still for grooming. Licking self-soothes, and offering a lick-able reward keeps the pet focused on a healthy treat instead of bathing or nail trims. I like this one that sticks on the bathroom wall, making it convenient for dog baths.

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Purina Pro Plan Ecomm Via Petco
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Pro Plan Bright Mind Dog Food

I’ve interviewed the veterinary nutritionist scientists who developed this product. They explained that as dogs grow older, their brains age, they slow down, and they stop interacting as much with us. Bright Mind‘s proprietary formulation helps turn back the clock. When we fed my old German shepherd Magic this diet, he started playing again and became engaged once more in his surroundings. I’m a fan of this food for otherwise healthy aging dogs.

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Liveclear Chicken And Rice Formula Ecomm Via Chewy
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Pro Plan LiveClear Cat Food

I can’t imagine the pain of loving a cat but knowing your kitty is making you or your kids sick from allergies. If this describes you, celebrate National Pet Day by trying the new LiveClear cat food. Food scientists have created a diet that helps to neutralize the Fel D1 protein in cat saliva that makes people sneeze. Your cats will celebrate that they’re no longer at risk of losing their home.

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Animaze 2 Door Folding Dog Crate Ecomm Via Petco
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Animaze Folding Dog Crate

Every dog deserves his or her private space, and the Animaze crate comes in six sizes to fit every pooch. I love that it has two doors for easy access and cleaning, which is so important—especially when potty training pups. It also easily folds up to travel, so the dog has a familiar space even when visiting Grandma.

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Drinkwell 360 Stainless Steel Pet Fountain Ecomm Via Chewy.com
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Drinkwell Pet Fountain

I’m a big fan of Drinkwell fountains. Pets love to drink from running water because the motion aerates the liquid and makes it taste better. That’s why they sip from the faucet or (yuck) the toilet. This fountain looks great, is dishwasher safe, and works for both cats and small dogs. This pet fountain is also a viable choice.

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Lifepro Dog Treadmill Ecomm Via Amazon
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LifePro Dog Treadmill

In my home office, every morning I walk on my desk treadmill while I work. Dogs prefer running outside unless the weather gets too nasty. The LifePro Dog Treadmill offers a great indoor exercise option for energetic dogs when they can’t go outside. I like the emphasis on safety, and the product addressing the sensitivity of dog hearing in the design.

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Plus Foam Dog Steps Ecomm Via 1800petmeds
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Plush Foam Pet Steps

When pets have trouble making it onto the couch, turn to these Plush Foam steps. I love the soft design with rounded steps. That makes it easy for puppies and kittens, or old arthritic big dogs or cats, to use. They’re lightweight and easy to move from the couch to the bedroom for your pet. And they come in three sizes and four colors to match your needs and decor.

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Tearribles Plush Ecomm Via Tearribles
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Tearribles

Celebrate National Pet Day by giving your dog one of my all-time favorite dog toys. Dogs love squeaky toys, but often destroy plush toys within minutes. Tearribles plush dog toys rip apart, satisfying your dog’s innate instinct to attack prey. The tough design, with rip-off Velcro-attached limbs, makes these goofy-looking creatures fun for everyone.

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Ellevet Feline Hemp Oil Ecomm Via Goellevet
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Hemp Oil Products for Dogs & Cats

Lots of pet products today tout the positive benefits of hemp oil and CBD. I like ElleVet’s products because they’re clinically proven to work and are developed by veterinary scientists to ensure their safety. Offerings include products to relieve itching, pain, cognitive issues, and stress to help calm your pets. They’re also one of the few I’ve seen with a cat-specific tasty product. You can be sure that your veterinarian will approve of these products.

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Amy Shojai, CABC
Amy Shojai, CABC, is a certified animal behavior consultant and nationally known authority on pet care and behavior. She began her career as a veterinary technician and is the award-winning author of more than 35 pet titles, including pet-centric thrillers.
She writes for the veterinary and pet products industry, with more than 4,000 articles and columns published. Amy wrote the expert content at puppies.About.com and cat behavior content at cats.About.com (now TheSpruce.com). In addition to Family Handyman, she has written for Reader's Digest, HuffPost, MarthaStewartLiving.com, Chewy.com, DailyPaws.com, FearFreePets.com, HillsPets.com, AdamsPetCare.com, Purina, HomeAgain, Sergeants, Good Good, Catster.com, Dogster.com, Daily Paws and many more.
She hosted the Pet Peeves radio podcast, offers a fun Ask Amy video on YouTube and appears as a pet expert on Animal Planet’s DOGS 101 and CATS 101. Amy toured as the national spokesperson for Purina Kitten Chow “Lifetime of Love” and the Cat Chow “Way of Life” and wrote the award-winning “Cats Emotional Health” column as a Cat Chow Mentor for more than a decade.
Amy frequently lectures at conferences and gives webinars about writing as well as a variety of pet-related issues. Perhaps most memorably, she represented the “cat side” and won a nationally televised tongue-in-cheek debate (NBC Today Show, Fox, CNN and others), arguing whether cats or dogs are the more appropriate White House pets.