​PET owners who are always looking for more options when shopping for their pets' needs should pay Landers Superstore a visit. 

Located in EDSA, Balintawak Quezon City, the sprawling superstore offers a wide variety of goods for cats and dogs, many of which are not seen in most retail stores. As this is a superstore, expect to buy items by the dozens or in big boxes, bags or packs.

From the store entrance, walk up straight to the right side and all the way down the aisle to find the pet section. There you will see stacked from the floor to the highest shelf mostly imported pet items ranging from dog and cat food (wet and dry varieties), treats of all kinds, bath and cleaning essentials, kitty litters and doggie pads, to dog bowls and pet toys plus a lot more.  

Some of the items we found:

One must be a member to shop here and have a good budget as there are many pet products that would be tempting to try. MetroPets did some window shopping and here are some of the pet products we saw and their corresponding prices:

FOR DOGS
Purina Puppy Dry Food 32lb for P1,699.75
SaniNico Dog Food Puppy 10kg for P684.75

Hartz Oinkies Pig Skin Bacon Filled Twists 5” 8pcs for P399.75
Hartz Oinkies Peanut Butter Filled 5” 8pcs for P399.75
Purina Beneful Hugs with Beef and Cheese 241g for P529.75
Milk Bone Soft & Chewy Chicken Drums 708g for P699.75

Pet All Star Puppy Pads 100ct for P1,499.75

Hartz Groomers Best Anti Dandruff Shampoo 18oz for P399.75
Hartz Shampoo Puppy for P399.75

Dog Games Slow-Bowl for P759.75 (small), P969.75 (big)

FOR CATS
Purina Cat Dry Food Complete 16lb for P1,099.75
Purina Cat Dry Food Kit & Kaboodle 16lb for P999.75
Cat Choice Cat Food 10kg P944.75

Special Kitty Grilled 85g 12 variety pack for P449.75
Special Kitty Chicken & Duck Sauce 85g 12-pack for P449.75
Special Kitty Seafood 85g 12-pack for P399.75

Hartz Hairball Remedy Softchew for P199.75
Hartz JointHealth Softchew (Chicken) for P249.75
Hartz Delect Lick Treat (Stew Chicken & Tuna, 1.4z) for P69.75

Purina Fancy Feast box of 30 cans 85g for P1,199.75

Whiskas Temptations Supermega Beef 180g for P249.75

Friskies Catfood (Seafood Variety Cans 32 pcs 5.5oz) for P1,199.75
Friskies Catfood (SurfTurf Variety Cans 32pcs 5.5oz) for P1,199.75

I Love Pet Head Deshed Wipes for P499.75
Hartz Nodor Litter Spray for P399.75
Scotch Brite Lint Roller Mini 2x40ct for P199.75

Simply Right Pet Care Scoopable Litter 4.2lb for P899.75

Also available at Landers Superstore are big quantities of Special Kitty Non-Clumping Litter, Scoop Away Litter, Litter Purrfect, bottles of Adams Flea & Tick Spray and boxes of Ol'Roy dog food, among others.

Landers Superstore will also open a branch in Otis in Manila. -- METROPETS©

THE adopted cats from Cat Cafe Manila met once again over the weekend for their first “catlumni” homecoming for Christmas.

To date, the all-rescue, all-Puspin cat cafe has rehomed four of its cats, namely: Shelly, Bicco, Oreo and Ling-ling. Only Shelly was absent for the small gathering at the cafe, which was also attended by the cats' adoptive parents and representatives from CARA Welfare Philippines.  

Denis Ty of Cat Cafe Manila thanked everyone who attended and happily hosted the unique reunion, which allowed everyone to share stories about the new furry members of their families.  

The adopted cats were a little aloof again at first, but started to come around before the party was over.  

Currently, Cat Cafe Manila features 14 Puspin cats from CARA. It is part of their “catvocacy” to find a forever loving home for some of their cats to make room for other cats at the cafe.

By ALMA J. BUELVA

THE third cat cafe to open in Quezon City features mostly Persian cats. Curiously enough, we were told that Gilmore Cat Cafe is owned by a Persian who is showcasing her own cats to ride the new feline led bandwagon sweeping the metro.

Gilmore Cat Cafe opened its doors in April. To discover what it has to offer compared to other cat cafes in the city required a proper visit. We started by dropping by at its virtual home (Facebook page) and we were astounded that it had accumulated over 20,000 Likes in Facebook in so little time. Like cats, this piqued our curiosity so we decided to find our way to its physical store via the provided map. This was when the first alarm bell rang.

Gilmore Cat Cafe is located in #6 Xavier Hills Condominium, Granada St., Quezon City. However, the map in its Facebook page will take you to a different Granada Street, still in Quezon City, but in Novaliches!

Scrolling down their Facebook page revealed an accurate sketch of their location and phoning them saved us from a wild goose chase. Once in Gilmore, spotting them was easy thanks to their big sign. They encourage guests to make reservations but they also welcome walk-ins. It's good that they inform customers in advance that parking is available only along the street, but knowing this doesn't make parking any easier.

We arrived at a quiet cafe near the middle of their second shift. There were no other customers at that time and the store seemed dark. There were three people behind the counter, but only one managed to say something intelligible – a female staff who mechanically delivered a spiel about the admission charge (P300 for two hours), cat cafe policies (sanitize, no flash photography, no disturbing sleeping cats, etc.) and showed us a limited selection of unappealing pastries for the day. Half of the cover charge is consumable, but coffee was not available yet, she said.

Gilmore Cat Cafe is a two-storey affair: cafe on the ground floor and cats' pad on the second. One must wear the provided fabric slippers with cat prints before going up the pink-painted stairs that lead to the cats.

To be perfectly honest, we didn't exactly like some of the things we saw the moment we reached the top of the stairs. Strewn all over the floor were thin rugs and standard-size throw pillows, some looking old and worn out. Unattractive curtains randomly hung also helped make this two-month-old cat cafe to look old.

There are cat condos, cat nooks, towers and beds that have been arranged mostly against the wall to give 10 cats and a maximum of 12 people more room. However, having litter boxes near the cats' food and water bowls and where people sit around doesn't seem sanitary.

But the most off-putting thing was the sight of two beautiful male cats caged separately because they are prone to fighting. Under staff supervision, any of the two are allowed to have the run of the place and to mingle with guests one at a time.

Gilmore Cat Cafe had at least 10 cats when we visited, mostly Persian cats but they also have a Russian Blue, a Siamese and a Napoleon. Four of the cats are male and the alpha among them was a ginger Persian named Garfield. He and all of Gilmore's cats look beautiful, clean and have really soft fur coats. They are also generally passive, but the younger ones come alive immediately at the slightest hint of play.

We were told that none of the cats have been fixed, so mating and territorial issues are bound to occur. In fact, a white Persian cat is said to be pregnant and slept throughout our afternoon visit. We were also told that the cafe had a Puspin that now stays at home because Garfield got it pregnant.

But nothing prepared us from accidentally discovering a recently born kitten in one of the cat condos. It was when we were momentarily left alone with the cats that we heard a faint meow. A quick search led us to a black Persian cat and her baby from Cloud, one of the cats in the cage. The mother cat didn't seem that upset that we discovered her baby, although it's a fact that nursing queens prefer utmost privacy, something a cafe setting cannot give.

Based on information from its Facebook page, Gilmore Cat Cafe is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and runs four shifts, each lasting two hours. The hourly breaks in the schedule are supposed to give the staff time to clean up the place for the next shift. The cats' area is not dirty to the naked eye, but the topsy-turvy look and the rough finish on some of the cat furniture can definitely be improved.

Gilmore Cat Cafe is preparing for its grand opening, which they say will happen soon. Before then, we hope this cat cafe can improve on its weaknesses, starting by removing the misleading Google map on its Facebook page. Ideally, all cat cafes should have their own restrooms for their customers who stay with them for at least an hour. As it is, guests of Gilmore Cat Cafe must walk out and go to the shawarma store next door (by the same owner) if they need to use the bathroom.

Having a little sundry store in the cafe for cat novelties is nice, but serving better food and drinks is more important. But even more crucial is having employees who are smart and presentable.  

A decent cat cafe that ticks all the right boxes for its cats and customers would be worth a visit, but those who can push the envelope by showing concern for cats and customers alike and giving thoughtful attention to details would earn frequent visits.