There are thousands of pet products on the market today. Estimated to be a $40 billion a year industry, pet products are big business with manufacturers who are trying to grab on to as much of the pie as possible.

Interestingly, it seems that the pet industry has not been affected by the recession as severely as businesses in other sectors. Pet owners still seem willing to shell out big bucks for products to pamper their kitties. But this is not surprising when we stop to realize that, for many pet owners, their pets are members of the family.

A while back, Dr. Jon asked us to attend some pet industry shows to find the very best new products for pet lovers! So we traveled the country, attending more than a half dozen shows from coast to coast, and we have researched hundreds (probably thousands) of pet products.

We have evaluated these pet products in a variety of ways, some more intensely than others.

My friends call it "extreme product testing" because I like to test the product under some very intense conditions. Yes, I'll run over some toys with a car, toss them out a window, throw them in a lake, hit them with a hammer ... you name it and I've probably done it! But I do it for a reason. Most importantly, we want to make sure that the pet products we recommend are safe, durable and appealing to pets. Here are some of our favorite pet products.

1. ZERO ODOR. Litter box odor can be unbearable. Cats sometimes urinate outside of the litter box. They may also "spray" and have occasional "accidents". Vomit, diarrhea and urine are particularly offensive odors that cat owners deal with on a regular basis. There are several products on the market that claim to combat odors, but they just don't work. Some will temporarily mask the smell while others do nothing at all. Zero Odor is different. This product really works. My team and I have tested this product along with cat owners just like you and we really love it. Bottom line, this product works. Zero Odor can eliminate those nasty odors for good. For more information, go to: Zero Odor for Cats .

2. DRINKWELL 360. It is important that all pets drink enough water, but this is especially true for cats. Just like us, many pets don't drink enough water to meet their daily recommendations. (After all, how many of us drink eight full 8-oz glasses of water a day?) It is hard to get pets to drink if they don't want to. But the Drinkwell 360 pet fountain can help them drink more. This is a great quality fountain with filtered streaming water. Cats prefer fresh running water. If I were to offer water in a bowl vs. the fountain, cats will go to the fountain. For more information, go to: Drinkwell 360 Pet Fountain

3. UNDERCOVER MOUSE. Undercover Mouse is my favorite cat toy. Do you know how some cats like to play the finger game? This is basically the same thing ... but better. The toy has a piece of fabric with a rotating arm underneath that moves in random motions to entice cats to chase and play. The cats I've tested it on just LOVE it. And it's so funny to watch! To learn more about the Undercover Mouse, go to: Check out the video to see what I mean .

4. FLING-AMA-STRING. This is my second favorite cat toy. Cats love to play with strings, and Fling-ama-String is the ultimate string toy. It attaches to any doorknob. The toy's rotating band continually tosses out a string and pulls it back in again ... and cats just LOVE it. The biggest complaint that we get from cat owners is that they go through a lot of batteries because their cats love it so much! To find out more, go to:
Check out the video .

5. BISSELL PET PACK. The Bissell Pet Pack is an absolute "must have" for cat owners. It's a set of universal vacuum tools designed especially to pick up pet hair, and these attachments will fit any name brand vacuum. These tools are amazing. They have special rotating brushes and rubber "fingers" that grab onto stubborn pet hair and easily vacuum it away. It's like a big pet hair magnet! It's perfect for upholstery, rugs, stairways, cars ... even those annoying "crevices" in between seat cushions.
To learn more, go to: Bissell Pet Pack .

6. CAT SITTER DVD FUN PACK. Do you feel guilty about leaving your cat home alone? Well, now you don't have to. You can turn your cat's lonely day into a fun-filled adventure with the Cat Sitter DVD Fun Pack. This amazing DVD will make your kitty feel like he's outside in the great outdoors where he can stalk and hunt prey or hang out and play with all his new video pals – mice, fish, birds, squirrels, butterflies and more. This DVD will keep your cat happy, content and engaged for hours on end. He'll have so much fun, he may not even notice you're gone! Made especially for cats with stereo surround sound, with this DVD your cat can play while you're away! Check it out. Go to: Cat Sitter DVD Fun Pack .