With autumn upon us, and winter fast approaching, many stores will be stocking up with dog coats and looking for new lines to give their section a lift. With this in mind, Trixie has launched five new dog coats for the 2008 season all under the Tcoat brand. Tcoat Nantes and Tcoat Valence coats are made from a hardwearing and water-repellent polyester fabric, Tcoat Metz from a soft and cuddly fleece fabric, Tcoat Hamilton is knitted and Tcoat Nice is a camouflage design of coat in a hardwearing nylon fabric. The T-coat range is packed in individual re-sealable poly bags with header cards and hooks.

GLEE 2008 will host a prize draw from CASCO that is even more impressive than the company’s 2007 show promotion. The value of the 2008 prize is bigger and the company have even more impressive pet and aquatic store fixtures and fittings on offer. One lucky winner will win a new store fitting worth £20,000. At the show, the company will also be unveiling new style innovation products, very advanced technical equipment and new ‘budget’ store fitting options.

A new range of purpose built ‘off the shelf’ units for displaying livestock is available from CASCO Europe. These units combine the usual excellent CASCO quality with exceptional value for money, simply because they are ready made to standard specifications. The units are manufactured in a series of sizes and colours and delivered fully assembled and ready to go. This development is beneficial to the industry, as it will allow more stores to afford quality animal display equipment!

A new book from Internet Publishing delivers accredited pet care advice in a unique and fun format. The new book What If My Cat…? is written by Claire Arrowsmith and Francesca Riccomini and includes the answers to 164 common questions cat owners ask. What If My Cat…? is written free of jargon and in a very reader-friendly format. The book is noticeable for its top class information and professional advice mixed with the kind of light-hearted humour that only cat owners can fully appreciate.

Amongst the latest wave of new products from Trixie comes a range of wicker pet beds offering traditional design with a modern influence. Trixie is now supplying a new small sofa called Willow Sofa and a nest of six new style beds called Basket. The new products are distinctively made from a dark brown willow. The dark colour offers something different whilst tuning into modern interior trends. As is the norm with the Trixie range, the new wicker lines are affordable with the opportunity for good margins for the retailer. Both beds include comfort cushions with removable covers.

There are now four indoor cages in the Villa range from Montana with three new models having just been launched. The range, ideal for finches and parakeets, now has the addition of the Villa Casa l (60 x 60 x 170cm), Villa Casa ll (91 x 60 x 185cm) and Villa Casa lll (119 x 81 x 205cm). The Montana Villa range has a rather unique feature, it changes from a birdcage to a small mammal cage using a simple and easy to fit conversion kit. The three new cages are rectangular in shape with the one original line, Villa Redondo, being hexagonal. These dual-purpose cages, from a quality supplier, are being well received by the trade.

With the LED pet blinker trade about to kick in for the autumn, import company Mines for Pets is now offering a new product especially for the large breed of dog. This ‘new for 2008’ product is the new generation of pet blinker benefiting from a handy little rubber on/off button and a larger chunky clasp fitting. Called Pet Blinker Large Breed this product is much tougher and stronger than its small breed version, ideal for a larger dog’s collar. The new Pet Blinker from Mines for Pets also benefits from metallic barrels available in red, blue and pink with different colours of flashing LED light!

A new comprehensive and highly practical book explains clearly how to set up and maintain a stunning reef aquarium. The Reef Aquarium, by Phil Hunt is an impressive 208 page hard backed book with 400 colour photographs. Including profiles of a wide range of reef-safe fishes and invertebrates, this book makes a perfect reference for hobbyists and everybody with an interest in the subject. The Reef Aquarium will give readers the confidence to take up the hobby. The book is 255mm x 215mm and has a recommended retail price of £20.

Designed to be used indoors or outdoors and for a variety of pets, comes the new TRun Nylon Enclosure from Trixie. Available in four sizes, 75 x 40 cm is sold predominantly for guinea pigs, 90 x 40 cm for rabbits and guinea pigs, and the two larger sizes (105 x 48cm and 130 x 55cm) for rabbits, puppies, kittens and other small animals.  The TRun Nylon Enclosure is a particularly universal product. The bottom of the enclosure can be removed so the pet can be put on the grass. There are also bottom loops for fixing the enclosure to the ground. A removable net prevents the pet from jumping out and offers protection from intruders!

Two new hutch combinations are now available from Trixie, both offering unique new features. Natura Hutch With Floor Cupboard is a hutch with sleeping area benefiting from a built in storage area below. The living area of this hutch has an elevated platform adding variety and more room for the pet to move about.  A non-slip ramp gives the pet access to the platform area.