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| Woolly Good: Hoosier-Made Pet Toys |
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| Family & Education |
| Written by Jean Starr |
| Thursday, 24 April 2008 09:33 |
 It started last year with the pet food recalls. Major and
minor brands were swept off the shelves as the news about
melamine-contaminated grains trickled forth. The grains
were processed in China, a country where anything can be
made cheaply and where there are no government standards.
People began to see the importance of monitoring what goes
in their pets’ mouths.Pam Wheelock started her business, PurrfectPlay, four years ago in answer to concerns about chemicals in her pets’ toys. There just is no good reason to buy brightly colored toys for your pets, she said the Chesterton, Ind., woman. Fabrics used by consumers in the United States are tested for flammability by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The fabrics are used for clothing, furniture and other products, and are not tested for possible ingestion. Like young children, pets put everything in their mouths. “The mouth of your cat or dog is a perfect place to absorb chemicals,” Wheelock said. “It is wet, warm and acidic.” Her first toy was an organically grown catnip-filled mouse made with organically grown, dye-free cotton. One of the company’s top sellers is Wool Balls, which are hand-formed from organic, dye-free wool. If a dog or cat pulls off a piece of the ball it can be safely ingested, though Wheelock stresses it’s always important to supervise your pet with any toy. Though the balls don’t seem to pick up that doggie drool scent, they are machine washable. Kermit the Frog was right when he said it’s not that easy to be green. Wheelock has to order a minimum 3,800 yards of organic cotton fabric for toys and pouches because the supplier only makes it in large batches. For the wool that goes into the balls, Wheelock has located several small family farms from all over the country, but most suppliers are in the Midwest. Her sewers and crafters live nearby. Wheelock’s workshop is neat and uncrowded, but her projects are widely varied. For instance, she came up with the idea for making leash bags out of sweaters she finds at local thrift shops. By cutting and sewing, adding a closure, a clip and a cute, locally made pewter button, she’s created an attractive, yet useful item. Ideally, they’ll hold some of the biodegradable doo-doo pick-up bags she carries, as well as treats, a cell phone and a key. The bags are machine washable, but should be air dried. Wheelock has designed and makes PurrfectPlay’s dye-free hemp collars for cats, and carries hemp dog collars and rope toys made by Earth Dog, a small company in Brentwood, Tenn., that makes rope toys, collars and leashes from organically grown hemp. PurrfectPlay sells its products online all over the world and recently opened a store and workshop in Chesterton. Wheelock no longer produces for wholesale. “It’s because we provide fair wages and use the best materials possible,” she said. “For us, wholesale is nominally profitable.” Besides finding Wheelock’s creations online, her clients have discovered PurrfectPlay at green festivals, markets and trade shows throughout the country. They’ve been generous with their feedback, sending photos of their pets playing with the toys and comments that are posted on the Web site. Donna Harvey of Sterling Heights, Mich., bought a couple of the catnip mice for her cats, Duke and Earl. “They cost a little more than catnip toys I’d bought in the past, but they’ve definitely outlasted them,” she said. “And of course, it’s nice to know there are no harmful ingredients in either the fabric or the catnip.”  For more information: PurrfectPlay, 107 S. Calumet Rd. Chesterton, Ind. 46304 www.purrfectplay.com Phone: (219) 926-7604 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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About the author Jean Starr
Jean Starr is a freelance writer from Chesterton, Ind., who writes on many topics, including the environment.
Jean Starr is a freelance writer from Chesterton, Ind., who writes on many topics, including the environment.
