Unclutterer

1. Posted by tina - 10/31/2007

   I guess I’m not to surprized at this. I once saw a woman with her child and dog - the dog riding in the baby stroller and the baby - barely able to walk holding the edge of the stroller and struggling to keep up with mom’s fast pace.

2. Posted by mary - 10/31/2007

   That is the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. I saw one lady at the pet store pushing her dog in something similar. It was one of those little “dogs” . Of course the dog was outfitted better than my child.

3. Posted by Laurel - 10/31/2007

   You cannot always tell when people are handicapped, I imagine the same to be true of pets. I think most people would not even be able to get there dog to stay in there unless it was recovering from a procedure or aging or so small that it cannot walk very far without being tired.

4. Posted by Jacque - 10/31/2007

   Another actual use for this kind of thing: cats living in an urban area.
   http://www.doublebassblog.org/.....oller.html

5. Posted by John in Indiana - 10/31/2007

   I see this all the time at the weekend flea markets. At least it doesn’t strike me as bizarre as people carrying their little yappy dogs in baby slings.

6. Posted by Karen - 10/31/2007

   Exactly re: cats. If you have indoor cats and you want to take them outside for a walk a carrier is too heavy to carry for long, and although there are exceptions most cats don’t take well to leashes (and can slip out of it and zip away in a heartbeat if something frightens them).

   This being said, yes, using a dog for the advertising is full of dumb, although I bet in less dog-friendly areas you can get away with taking a strollered dog places you couldn’t take one on a leash.

7. Posted by Kit - 10/31/2007

   Definitely great for cats when you don’t have a car. The swaying motion of the carrier tends to freak them out over long distances. Also, if you have to sneak them onto pet-unfriendly public transit it’s a lot easier to get a stroller past the gate than a pet carrier, even if it’s one of the soft sorts.

8. Posted by Jon King - 10/31/2007

   My comment is “no comment”. Which makes about as much sence as a dog stroller.

9. Posted by Mrs. Micah - 10/31/2007

   I could see this being useful for a disabled animal. Or a cat you’re trying to transport.

   But for most dogs—-no. I suppose this is one reason diet dog food sells so well!

   (In France, they love their dogs. You might see some pooches being carried down the Champs Elysees. Not your teacup pups, either, some were the size of stroller-buddy there.)

10. Posted by Allie Orange - 10/31/2007

    As an addicted reader of unclutterer, I can’t believe my first post will be in defense of a unitasker item, but we own a similar product (www.kittywalk.com) and use it all of the time! We have an indoor-only cat who wants to be outside with us when we breakfast on our porch and this has worked great for us. We also use it to take him to the vet. Since I have carpal tunel, I find it much easier to use the stroller than to carry him in a carrier. In fact, once we got the stroller, we considered our old carrier clutter and gave it to our vet.

11. Posted by AZLily - 11/01/2007

    I’d have to agree about this item having it’s important uses.
    My dog usually walks but rides in a stroller (albeit a baby stroller) if we’re going somewhere she might be in danger (of being stepped on, she’s only 4 lbs) if she were on the ground but I know that I will either have my hands full doing something else or we’ll be out long enough that if she were in a bag my shoulder would be tired and she’d get too tired if she were made to walk (she refuses to move after she decides she’s tired, about 1/2 mile depending on the weather).
    I know some people would argue to just not take the dog, but it’s good for her to be out and about and to experience things and bad for her to be stuck at the house all day when there are events just down the street. We do get some weird looks though.

12. Posted by Tanya - 11/01/2007

    I first considered this a weird excessive for pets. However, I travel frequently and also go to flea markets. Since I bring my two small dogs most places, it is extremely convenient to pop them into the stroller when perusing the aisles of flea markets and such. They don’t bother anyone, they are in my company, and they are safe.

13. Posted by Kris - 11/01/2007

    Gotta say that yes, this is a unitasker, but yes, it’s a necessary one for all those folks with smaller pets that either won’t or can’t go for a walk on their own.

    Just because one doesn’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary, stupid or over-the-top.

14. Posted by Augie at Just Pet Strollers - 11/01/2007

    My wife and I run a site that sells pet strollers, and we hear a ton of reasons why people purchase them. Some of your commenters already noted the most common reasons, primarily older or injured dogs.

    Pet strollers are also good for travel.

    They’re perfect for older people to get animals to the vet and other places easily. (And we’ve received comments from several older adults who comment that the stroller gives them something to hold on to as they walk, so it helps them as much as their pets.)

    Cats should not be allowed to roam free, so a pet stroller is a great way to allow cats (who usually don’t take to harnesses and leashes well) to get fresh air.

    Some people in cities get pet strollers to use on their balcony–it’s a safe way of taking an animal outside without worrying they’ll get loose and get curious about what’s over the edge. Some city dwellers also don’t feel safe walking their pets on busy sidewalks around traffic and other people’s aggressive animals, so a pet stroller makes a great way to get a pet safely to a park (where they can then run free.)

    Finally, a lot of folks wish to spend quality time with their pets and take them places they might not otherwise be welcome. We’ve heard some malls are permitting pets in strollers, and some customers take their pets with them to work in strollers.

    There are lots of good reasons for a pet stroller! They aren’t for everyone, but they are becoming much more common.

15. Posted by Maria - 11/02/2007

    I’ve also heard of people using them in areas without sidewalks, because the dark macadam gets so hot. Some people put little booties on the dog instead, but I’m sure some dogs wouldn’t be cooperative.

16. Posted by Andamom - 11/03/2007

    Umm… I see these daily… Then again, people here in NYC love their pets — FWIW, I don’t think it is that horrible.

17. Posted by PetMom - 11/05/2007

    People often forget that small, elderly and very young dogs tire on long walks that don’t faze their owners. With the popularity of toy dogs as “accessories,” a stroller might be a safer bet for a little dog than trying to trot mile after mile after it’s owner’s long legs!

    It’s easy to poke fun and say something like this is not needed but what have you bought that you love and would never be without, that someone else thinks is a ridiculous waste of time and space? Now there’s a question for you!

18. Posted by Christina - 01/17/2008

    I guess you need to see why these are used. Alot are older people who want their pet with them or injured animals who cannot walk. I have a dog with IVDD that cannot walk stairs. She is not paralizedat this point and I would rather use a stroller than spend 3,000+ in surgerys. Also a comment on the booties. Look at what they are for. Alot are also for injured dogs to stay surefooted and not slip. You never know if this is a paralized or old dog that can not do all that walking. Concrete is very hard on a animals paws in the first place. You wear shoes for that reason. Their pads are touch but they can step on something and slice the paw right open. I got alot of looks when we had to take our dog out to potty using a sling. And despite all the laughs no one ever thought to ask why. My dog spent 4 days without the use of her back legs and for 6 weeks had to be helped to walk with the use of it. The stroller has many reasons. Think of the rescued dog you might pick up from a shelter. Did you know alot of them have anxieties and hate to be left alone. Taking them with you in a stroller can bring them so much comfort, ease the anxiety and hopefully one day erase it. THink of the dog you see sitting in one. Take some time and ask. Is it the owners wish to have their pet close, is this pet injured or have a disease, is it elderly? Before poking fun at what may be a very expensive not so funny situation. Like the thousands of dollars in vet bills and surgeries. Because no mater what,yes its a dog, but its a family member. ANd most of us would stop at nothing to ensure a long happy healthy life for our pets.

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