Seems that these days toys are quickly becoming obsolete in the face of iPads and computers that provide hours of entertainment with minimal effort and imagination. And while your child may not be able to find entertainment in a ball or piece of colorful plastic, your dog still can. Well, dogs are really entertained by absolutely anything, but there are plenty of toys engineered to help your dog grow, exercise different body parts (namely his jaw) and even facilitate play with you and your family. But do you really want to drive all the way to the pet store to get toys for your pet? Why not just include them in your next grocery delivery from mygofer.com? That way you can have more time to clean the canine waste products your puppy continues to leave around the house three months after that overpriced trainer supposedly ‘housetrained’ him. Check out some of the hottest toys for your dog after the jump:

In my house, Halloween is an absolute circus.  We are passing out candy, looking for the face paint, getting the kids into their costumes and trying to get them to eat something relatively healthy.  In the midst of all this fun chaos, who gets neglected?  Our dog. 

Halloween may not phase some pets, but for most dogs and cats, it’s a distressing change in routine.  An ordinarily quiet house suddenly becomes filled with strange noises, constant door knocking and people in costume.  You don’t want to overlook your pet during this time, so make sure his Halloween isn’t scary by following some of these tips.

They become members of the family – our dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, iguanas, and snakes. When a pet passes on, it can be really hard on everyone. There are many ways to deal with grief and to help others in the family come to terms with a loss.

Your dog is more than just a family pet – he’s a member of your family, your children’s best friend and protector.  As such, you want him to lead a long, healthy and happy life.  You want these same things for your children and to ensure that they stay strong and healthy, you make their nutrition a priority.  But are you doing the same for your dog or are you pouring a generic kibble into his bowl every day that’s chalk full of unnatural fillers?

Fortunately, cats are easy to litter box train. Unfortunately, cats can’t clean the litter box. If you are a cat owner or are considering a cat, then you will get very familiar with kitty litter. There are different types, and some litters work better for some families while other kitty litters work better for others.

My family adopted a rescue kitty. Sugar may have been down on his luck, but he had his pride. One thing he could not tolerate was a dirty litter box. He would go in the litter box regardless, but he would not step in it if it did not meet his standards. He would balance on the edges of the box with his claws and give us the evil eye. So, he quickly trained us to keep the litter box very clean.

I am feeling the needs these days to show some extra appreciation to man’s best friend.  Yes, I am speaking of my two wonderfully loyal pups. 

For the last nine years, they have been by my side at every chance they’ve gotten.  They were our first kids, and we treated them as such until our “real” kids arrived.  And once that happened, they’ve since waited patiently in the background for our attention, showing the utmost excitement at the littlest affection shown toward them.

The floundering economy means that even more pets are in need of homes with animal shelters across the country struggling to find homes for dogs, cats, and other pets.

If you are thinking about adopting a pet, be sure to consider shelter animals. But, do plan ahead so that you and your new four-legged family member will have a good experience.

Parakeets are popular small birds and make great pets. If you decide to adopt a parakeet into the family, you’ll need to get him an appropriate cage. Here are some tips for buying.

While you may see birdcages at secondhand stores or at yard sales, it’s not a good idea to get an old cage for a parakeet. Many of the older cages have lead based paint, and birds peck and nibble, so they ingest harmful chemicals when housed in older cages. In addition, the previous bird may have had an illness and putting your bird in the old cage could cause your parakeet to get sick or even die.

Parakeets or budgies are lively little birds. Like children, parakeets enjoy playing with toys. Be sure that your little bird has a supply of fun toys that are budgie appropriate. 

Your parakeet is likely to spend a good deal of time in her cage especially if family members work outside the home or go off to school during the day. This means that your little bird will need toys to pass the time while you’re away or busy with other household tasks.

Today is officially the first day of summer break for both my boys.  First trip of the day – to the pet store to buy a tank for our new tadpole, which is currently in a plastic bowl. 

As if we don’t have enough pets with our two dogs, 4 fish, frog and snail – we now have a ninth.  My oldest brought him home from school with much excitement about a new buddy to care for.  When he brought home the permission slip a few days ago, I signed it, thinking many other kids would be vying for the four tadpoles his teacher needed to find homes for.  However, since only seven kids were hoping for one, the chance of his name being picked was pretty good.

I guess I’m OK with it.  At this point, even though it’s up to me to clean the fish tank (which is one of those LOW priority items on my list), my boys are pretty good about caring for the whole clan.  And I see this not only as a responsibility builder but also an educational experience as this critter transforms into a frog.  So it’s decided that our first fun topic to study this summer will be this process. 

If you have pets, how much responsibility do you give your kids to care for them?  At what age do you think they are ready to handle multiple types of pets?