PEOPLE Pets | Sit. Stay. Play!

My miniature pinscher pup Rocco hates nothing more than getting in our bathtub (not even passing city buses or barking Shih Tzus!). He even shirks when passing by the bathroom in our home on a daily basis. So I rely on wet wipes to clean the sidewalk grime and the bacteria from the dog park off Rocco — which means I've become somewhat of an expert in no-fuss dog bathing.

It also means that Rocco has experienced the downside to a lot of these wipes — most on the market dry his skin with harsh ingredients like soaps and alcohol. That's why I was ecstatic to try TrueBlue's all-natural grooming wipes. They're pH-balanced, tear-free and made from botanical ingredients, and come in Safe and Sure Eye Wipes, Super Easy Ear Wipes and — what's become my absolute favorite — Fast and Fresh Dental Swipes.

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Kermit the Frog once said it's not easy being green, but organic expert Michelle Harris begs to differ. The host and creator of the organic living show Alive & Well with Michelle Harris shares her best suggestions for being an eco-friendly pet owner.

* Buy organic pet food. It's one way to help ensure that pesticides don't find their way into your pet's system.

* Use natural pet-care products. Think about trying herbal flea control or natural dental remedies.

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Flush Puppies now has poop bags that are even more environmentally friendly than those biodegradable blue bags everyone is using for their dog’s messy business. Made of a polymer similar to gelcaps, Flush Puppies dissolve in water so fast, you can throw them in the toilet and flush them away.

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With past clients including modern icon Herman Miller, it makes sense that Shelly Klein of k studio would design pillows that are at once engagingly modern and spare. The simply drawn cats, dogs and other animals don’t so much frolic as simply exist on the pillows that Klein makes in collaboration with her mother Mary in their Grand Rapids, Mich. studio. The dog on the Dog Pillow, $110, looks like he’s waiting expectantly for a treat. The cat on the Cat Pillow, also $110, has contentment in her eyes. An entire stories could be written based on the characters on the Men Plus Dog Pillow and the Women Plus Cat Pillow ($134 each) – How did these three come to be together? Did they just meet? Are they keeping a safe distance from one another?

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For the past 15 years, my Sheltie, Andy, has nudged his bowl of food around the kitchen floor like a hockey puck. What I wouldn't have given for a These Creatures hanging feeder to stop his silly habit before it started! The brainchild of Dez Stone Menendez, a designer, and Frank Mansfield, who rescues pit bulls, These Creatures feeders are wall-mounted food bowls that feature intricate backsplash designs of various dog and cat breeds. Made to order, the feeders are crafted from steel (and come with matching screws), and include two removable stainless bowls.

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Forget my cats, I’m the one who wants these cool cardboard scratchers! Which I’m sure is the exact reaction that Marmalade Pet Care had in mind when they designed the Wallflower cardboard scratcher. The Marmalade site goes so far as to call the Wallflower “an affordable installation art piece for any home.” Priced at $42, it certainly feels more like art than a cat toy. But the truth is, this cardboard scratcher is something to brag about.

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Your cat may not be able to travel to Japan, but you can bring the flavors of the country to him or her with Jake & Micah's organic catnip maki sushi ($6.99 each, $20.95 for all three). Made with 100 percent cotton "seaweed paper," the rolls are just a few inches in circumference and come stuffed with premium organic catnip covered in colored felt to emulate yellowtail, salmon and tuna sushi.

Is kitty not a fan of maki? Jake & Micah also offers catnip handrolls, wontons and green tea, plus fortune cookies for dessert! There are Swiss rolls and cannoli, too, for cats that prefer European cuisine. Bon appetit!

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