Hi there, I’ve been Mom to many cats over the years, and now a hound-lab-pitt mutt who has grown up with my family alongside my daughter. They got me through some tough times, including getting me out of the house during the Covid-era (because everyone has to pee, no matter what crisis we’re facing) and keeping me company WFH since. While my pets, and those of my colleagues, can’t write reviews, we can, and we know their wants/needs/favorite chew toys just as well as they do. We know how to read the room: the tail wags, the turned-up noses, the cat who hates her new water bowl. For this year’s Best of Year pet winners, our testers leashed up, set up GPS fences, programmed meal timers, and paid very close attention to who came running at dinnertime. This year, pet care went high-tech, and our testers put several gadgets to work. The SpotOn GPS Dog Fence (Nova Edition) went off-leash with our tester’s dog, who figured it out quickly, and the GPS boundaries were impressively accurate. As our full review puts it:
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“The Nova delivers on what GPS-based dog containment has always promised but rarely fully achieved.” |
Mealtime got the same upgrade. The WOpet SmartFeeder, our top pick among automatic feeders, schedules up to six feedings a day from a 17-cup hopper and has a night-vision HD camera so you can see and talk to your pet from anywhere. And on the other end of things—literally—the OneIsAll Ease S1 litter box scoops itself, collecting clumps in a separate container that comes out fully for washing. The rest of the list leans just as hard into tech. The Petkit EverSweet Ultra is a water fountain that knows which cat is drinking (and how much), and the Halo Collar 5 checks your dog’s location 20 times a second, for the escape artist who treats every open gate as an invitation.
That said, not every winner needs an app or hard tech. The Primal Pet Gear leash has a second handle for reining in strong pullers, all for under $15. And the Country Brook Petz Martingale Collar is our top training pick for dogs who lunge first and ask questions later. The food bowl had a surprisingly big year, too. The Farmer’s Dog is back because it’s still the fresh food subscription we trust most. Our tester’s Boston terrier and puppy both got noticeably more excited at dinner. And The Pets Table won over a picky 9-pound mixed breed right away. Last, but certainly not least, my favorite promise of the year comes from Orvis. Its RecoveryZone ToughChew Den is our pick for the best dog bed, and if your pup ever manages to chew, tear, rip, or bite through it, Orvis will refund your money, no questions asked. Have a puppy you think could win that bet? Make your case here. That’s just a taste of this year’s winners. Go give the full lineup a good sniff. Mine has. Thanks for reading, Leigh Harrington Executive Editor, Reviewed |
