Have Happier Holidays with Gifts for Dogs, Cats & Humans from barker & meowsky!

We love to make holiday shopping easy for you. Our shelves are full of unique gifts that are perfect for the most festive of felines, the most cuddly of canines and the people who love them.
With Christmas fast approaching & Hanukkah already here, there’s still time to pick the perfect present and get there in time.
Don't know what to buy? Call or email anytime for your own personal shopper!

Deck The Halls

Put your dog on your Christmas tree! Our beautifully handmade dog & cat Christmas ornaments in your favorite breeds are the perfect choice for the dog and cat lovers in your life. Also, check out the many whimsical breed-specific art prints & pillows – perfect to deck the halls of any pet-lovers home.

Oh Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel

Yiddish dog toys? We've got 'em! Singing dreidels? Yep, we've got those too! We've got enough great gifts for your furry friends to last for eight days and then some!

Jingle Bells

What to wear while caroling? We have tons of special holiday collars, ruffs, scarves, santa hats and antlers! With options for the really rambunctious to the mostly mellow there’s something that will stay put no matter how much they party.

"Moose & Me"

Last October at Camp Dogwood, Casey and Gus had the distinct pleasure of meeting Moose, a black lab from Iowa, and his person, Trevor Meers. Moose and Trevor were working on a piece for Midwest Living Magazine that examines the joys of vacationing in the Chicago area with your best friend. “Moose & Me” appears in the June 2009 issue of Midwest Living (on newsstands now!). This fun article reminds us that traveling with our best furry pal is a great idea, features our favorite dog camp and mentions your favorite dog and cat-centric shopping locale and some happy Labrador campers.

Moose, Trevor and their adorable family stopped by barker & meowsky for a quick shopping excursion on their way downtown. One of Moose’s cute little girls picked him out a new Sea Turtles collar from our “Life’s a Beach” collection. Looking good Moose! In the Trip Guide you’ll read about barker & meowsky: “This leading pet boutique in Lincoln Park offers treats, leashes, beds and more without the precious attitude that accompanies many such stores. Say hi to Labs Gus and Casey, loyal Camp Dogwood attendees.”

Gus, Casey and fellow Camp Dogwood beach game Team2 players feel that Moose contributed greatly to their big win in the “Kibble Relay”. So, “hi” right back at you and thanks Moose and Trevor!

barker & meowsky is featured on ABC 7 Chicago

This season is definitely "Puppy Season." barker & meowsky was featured on ABC 7 Chicago with our favorite dog trainer from Animal Sense, Jamie Damato, CPTD. Below is a list of Certified Dog Trainer approved dog treats that are easy to break into small pieces, have enticing aromas, and many are appropriate for dogs with sensitivities and allergies.

Real Meat Healthy Gourmet Dog Treats

These all meat treats are easy to break into small pieces for training. Their limited ingredients make them a great option for dogs with allergies.

Details: size = 4oz and 12oz packages - varieties = Lamb, Beef, Venison – price = $6.99 to $18.95

Cheesefest

Made in Wisconsin with 100% cheese. The small size and great smell make these terrific for training.

Details: size = 1.7oz – price = $4.99

Evanger’s Nothing But Naturals Jerky Treats

Evanger's has paired a unique variety of game meats with fruits and vegetables into their fantastic training treats.

Details: size = 4.5oz package – varieties = Pheasant, Buffalo, Venison & Organic Chicken – price = $7.50 to $8.50

Fido Salami and Beef Sticks

Made from 100% American Beef. These treats will make you hungry. Dogs will do just about anything for them.

Details: size = 3.5oz – varieties = Beef Salami, Beef Sticks – price = $3.95

Zuke’s Mini Naturals

All-natural mini’s are a great soft treat to always have with you.
Details: size = 6oz, 16oz – varieties = chicken, peanut butter, salmon – price = $5.25 to $11.95

To watch the video from ABC 7 Chicago, click here.

"Seder Fare for Pets That Keep Kosher "

Tongues (and tails) were wagging recently when the New York Times came calling at barker & meowsky to discuss one of our favorite topics -- food!

While researching a story on kosher pet foods for the Business Section (April 9, 2009), they reached out to Food Expert, "Alice Lerman, who owns Barker & Meowsky, a Chicago pet store billed as "a paw firm," [who] said that Evanger's is also favored by non-Jews "who perceive kosher as being another group of checkpoints, so that the protein sources are maybe better checked than for non-kosher food." This, the article points out, is why Evanger's (like all other foods carried at barker & meowsky) was not affected by the 2007 pet food recall.

While talking about the benefits of finding high-quality foods, the reporter couldn't help to note that, "there is a certain kitsch factor, too."

"Ms. Lerman, who grew up in an Orthodox home and keeps kosher still, does a brisk buisness in quadruped Judaica in her store. She sells yarmulkes and tallits (prayer shaws) for dogs as well as plush toys by a company called Chewish Pets, including a bagel and a fish embroidered with the word "lox." The storesupplies such items, and Evanger's food, to increasingly popular Bark Mitzvahs, a cheeky canine rite of passage where, as documented in videos of the celebrations posted on YouTube, some guests utter a congratulatory "Muzzle Tov."


Muzzle Tov, indeed!

Your Furry Valentine Contest First Runner Up 2009

"I'm never getting another dog again." Those were the words I cried out to my mother on that October day. My father had just taken Randy, our beloved 14 year-old family dog to the vet. It was time and I was inconsolable. I cried as I saw Randy sitting in the backseat looking so sick as my dad pulled the car out of the garage. It's an image that still makes me weep now, 20 years later. I could not bear to ever go through this again and from that day forward, there would be no more dogs.
Randy was a wonderful, sweet and smart mixed breed with floppy ears and an adorable face. My dad, who had two daughters called him "son" and often pedaled around on his bike with Randy on a leash happily trotting beside him. Five years later my father passed away unexpectedly. I didn't remember many details from that time but I do remember that I tucked a note inside the casket right before they closed it. It said "Say hello to Rand y". It gave me some comfort to know they were together now. So me, the dog and animal lover went on through life with no pets after that.
I had a recurring dream over the years that Randy was still alive - he was a dog in his 20s and 30s which I knew was impossible but after all, anything is possible in a dream. I had been a child when we got Randy and now I was a young adult with a busy job and life an d now with a home of my own. A dog just didn't make sense.

Fast forward to 2005. I sat transfixed before the TV news one Sunday watching a live rescue from rooftops in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. While the helicopter plucked people up one by one , I was fixated on a little white dog that was standing among the people on the roof of a building. "Please God, let them take the dog too." I thought to myself. Finally, the last man they rescued picked up the little dog and away they went to the safety of the helicoptor.

Now it was a few months later - Christmas time, and a series of events led me one Saturday to visit the local shelter - The North Shore Animal League. Mostly, it was that image of the little white dog from New Orleans that had somehow triggered me into thinking about getting a dog again. I debated if I should go and then ;finally decided that I would and "just look." It was getting dark and I couldn't find the street that the shelter was on and was about to turn around and go home but oddly, for whatever reason, I looked up and there was the street in front of me so I figured I'll just st op in for a few minutes since I've come this far but again, "I'm only gonna look". Famous last words.

I walked in and on every cage was a sign that said "Hurricane Rescue." I was shocked. Did not realize that any of those dogs and cats had made it all the way up to New York so many months after the Hurricane. They all looked so sad and tears immediately welled up in my eyes. Then I saw the sign that said "Nursery". I turned the corner and there he was. First cage on the top row. A little black ball of fur curled up and peering out at me. I put my finger through the cage to stroke his nose and his eyes followed me. Before too long, one of the workers swooped in and asked me if I wanted to hold him. "Sure!" I said. He was no more than 6 weeks old and cute as a button. I held him for a while and then the girl was back and she said the magic words - "Do you want him?". I thought how can I put this little guy - all alone with no mommy and no siblings back? He had been rescued from the ravaged south and God knows what he went through in those first 6 weeks of his life - he was so little and all alone in a strange place. "Oh my God what am I doing "Yes", I blurted out! That was it, they flipped the sign on his cage to signal that he was taken, put him back in the cage and whisked me off for paperwork, interviews, references, etc. I then was directed to a waiting room where other perspective nervous new "parents" sat. The large signs on the wall warned "Are you ready to give the next 15 years of your life to this animal?". Suddenly the door opened and the woman asked for the "lady from Garden City". I thought "Oh no, I've been rejected!". But instead she asked me if I could come back to the nursery because the puppy would not stop crying since I left him. OK, that was it! I knew it then, he was mine!

A few minutes later after being congratulated on my successful adoption, I left carrying my new little boy with not a clue as to what to do with him. I had nothing prepared and told no one where I was going that day. Boy, were some people going to be surprised. I tried to stick his little body in my large purse in the car but that lasted about 2 seconds so I ended up driving home with him on my lap. "What have I done?" I thought to myself. "Am I crazy? I'm not prepared for a dog let alone such a young puppy" - no crate, no puppy barricades , no toys, no food, no nothing.

As I turned down the street to my house, it seemed to all make sense. This day would have been my father's birthday and when I looked at the papers that the Animal League gave me, my new puppy had been born on the same date that Randy had died on so many years before. As my new little bundle of joy scampered onto my white living room rug and promptly tinkled, I knew his name: "Maxwell Joseph Randolph" - the last 2 names after my dad and his "brother" Randy. I knew that they were both were smiling down on this new little guy.

Elizabeth H.

Your Furry Valentine Contest Winner 2009

Two years ago on the 4^th of July, Maxx, our Great Dane, wanted to go outside to play. She immediately saw something orange and white in the lawn and ran over to investigate. My husband thought it was one of her numerous stuffed animals which she likes to carry outside when using the potty. Maxx just kept licking this curious orange and white lump more carefully then she does her toys. As my husband got closer he saw that it was a tiny kitty no more than a few weeks old. The little stray kitten was dehydrated, very ill, and had puncture wounds form his siblings all over his little head. We rushed him to the emergency hospital where they kept him for 3 days for treatment. On the day we picked him up from emergency hospital, they had discovered a giant abscess covering his head. They told us he would not make it. We did not give up hope and brought him immediately to our vet. For the next 12 days the kitten was in and out of the vets to drain the abscesses that had continued to form. Our dog Maxx was so worried that every 10 to 15 minutes she would walk over to her tiny kitty to check on him and give him kisses. Maxx even slept close by to make sure she was there if any problems came up over the night. With lots of time, hand feeding and love, the tiny kitty survived. Seeing how well our dog Maxx cared for this little kitty, we decided to keep him and name him Sid Vicious. This was because of his tough cat attitude and… naughty behavior at the vets when he was better. Sid had become Maxx’s new baby to care for; where today they are the best of buddies. Our vet to this day says the only reason Sid survived was because Maxx took such a special interest in Sid, making him hold on to life by giving him all the love she could.

Christy R.