As we set to begin the new year, it’s always interesting to take a look back at the year that was. For those of us in the shopping review and recommendation business, that means pondering what people purchased most often in the last 364 (or so) days.
Pet owners tend to love spoiling their animals. Whether you have one dog or cat or you’re like me and have six animals (three dogs, two chinchillas, and a beardie), you have to keep up with the normal staples, but augment them here and there with interesting new things to stimulate your pet’s mind.
We pored over our data to put together this list of the best and most popular pet supplies of 2017. Some are evergreen classics, while others are relatively new releases. We have a wide variety of pet needs represented here from dog leashes, cat and dog toys, and even food. While online shopping for these items has the obvious advantage of greater selection, there’s also the benefit of things like Amazon’s Subscribe & Save, which will ensure regular shipments of even heavy items at discounted prices. Having someone deliver these to your door also saves you the complication of getting it home from the store.
Peruse our list of the top ten best selling pet supplies of 2017 to see if there’s anything you missed out on this year.
1. Interactive Cat Toy: Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy
Bergan
According to our data, the this simple cat toy is the best selling pet product of the year. It’s a classic toy, providing both a scratching surface and a captive ball for hours of fun. The fact that the ball remains in the frame of the toy means it can’t get lost under furniture. Naturally, they make replacement scratchers, which themselves are perfect for adding catnip to keep your cat interested.
Originally featured in: Best Interactive Cat Toys
Second best seller in the category: Hexbug Mouse Cat Toy
Price: $10.09 (44 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy here.
2. Dog Toy: Outward Hound Firehose Squeak ‘N’ Fetch
Outward Hound
All three of my dogs are pit mixes, and all three of them are absolutely savage to their toys. Normal fabric and plastic are no match for them, especially my blue nose pittie. If this sounds familiar, you can join the many folks who picked up one of these simple chew toys this year, which is made of extra durable fire hose material. It squeaks as well as floats, so it’s good for lake outings, too.
Originally featured in: Best Indestructible Dog Toys
Second best seller in the category: goDog Dragons Toy
Price: $3.99 to $5.99 (43 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Outward Hound Firehose Squeak ‘N’ Fetch here.
3. Flea Treatment: PetArmorPro Advanced Flea and Tick Prevention
PetArmorPro
Cheaper than its Frontline and Advnatix counterparts we compared in this post, the buying public chose PetArmorPro to keep biting insects off their dog in 2017. Specifically, the 45 to 88.9 pound formulation was a hot seller, far and away leading the category. I personally tend to prefer Bayer Advantix II for my boys, but it is definitely more expensive.
Originally featured in: Best Flea & Tick Prevention Products for Dogs
Second best seller in the category: Bayer Seresto Collar
Price: $14.35 to $35
Buy the PetArmorPro Advanced Flea and Tick Prevention here.
4. Flea Spray: Vet’s Best Flea & Tick Pet & Home Spray
Vet’s Best
If you have a particularly tenacious population of fleas and ticks, you’ll want a multi-pronged approach to deal with it. This Vet’s Best offering was by far the best selling spray formulation and can be used on furniture and pet beds — as well as directly on the dog. It contains no harsh chemicals, yet is effective at keeping pests to a minimum. They also make a formulation for cats, as well.
Originally featured in: Best Dog Flea Sprays
Second best seller in the category: Adams Plus Flea and Tick Spray
Price: $9.77 (12 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Vet’s Best Flea & Tick Pet & Home Spray here.
5. Pet Anxiety: VetriScience Laboratories Composure for Dogs
VetriScience Laboratories
Spiking definitively around the Fourth of July, this product far outsold competitors in 2017, which is saying something because this category of products peppers the top of our pet sales data. (Perhaps dogs are growing more anxious the same way people seem to be.) This can be used to help dogs cope with thunderstorms and fireworks, car trips, and being left alone. The chews themselves are chicken liver flavored, so it’s easy to administer as a treat. The active ingredients are colostrum, l-theanine, and thiamine, which all work together to relax your pup. If your cat is anxious, too, try their feline formula.
Originally featured in: Best Dog Anxiety Products & Medication
Second best seller in the category: Isle of Dogs 100% Natural Chillout Dog Treats
Price: $12.69 (10 percent off MSRP)
Buy the VetriScience Laboratories Composure for Dogs here.
6. Cat Scratching Post: Pioneer Pet SmartCat The Ultimate Scratching Post
SmartCat
Every home that has a cat must also have some form of scratching post, lest your couch become that surface. A cat that knows it has free access to a scratching post is less likely to destroy other things in your home. This standard yet excellent post was the best seller of 2017 by a wide margin. Cat owners really love it, which is saying something considering it’s priced well into cat tree territory. Easy to spice up with some catnip spray.
Originally featured in: Best Cat Scratching Posts
Second best seller in the category: Go Pet Club Cat Tree
Price: $39.99 (20 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Pioneer Pet SmartCat The Ultimate Scratching Post here.
7. Pet Water Fountain: PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain
PetSafe
Pet water fountains were nearly as popular as anti-anxiety treatments and toys in 2017, with the Drinkwell line from PetSafe tearing up our charts. Savvy shoppers bought hundreds of these fountains this year, including the following variants:
- Drinkwell Original
- Drinkwell Mini
- Drinkwell Pagoda
- Drinkwell 360 and 360 Stainless Steel
- Drinkwell Multi-Tier
But by far the most popular was this one, the Drinkwell Platinum. It can store 168 ounces of water and uses a free-falling water stream to keep pets interested in drinking. The unit is made of BPA-free plastic that is top-shelf dishwasher safe. If you go this route, you may also want to pick up replacement filters and a cleaning kit, both of which were also among our best sellers this year.
Originally featured in: Best Cat Water Fountains
Second best seller in the category: Pioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel Pet Drinking Fountain
Price: $44.95
Buy the PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain here.
8. Dog Food: Taste of the Wild Dry
Taste of the Wild
Available in six different flavors and packed with pre- and probiotics for improved digestion, Taste of the Wild took the distant lead when it came to dog food in 2017. It’s an excellent, grain-free feed that should be well-tolerated by most dogs. To top it off, it’s eligible for Subscribe & Save via Amazon so you can get the price down a little bit when you include it with four other subscriptions. I do this with Nature’s Variety Instinct (which we discussed in our best dry dog food brands post), which gets delivered along with several toys each month. Incidentally, the best selling cat food according to our data was Purina Fancy Feast Medleys, though we did not recommend it on our best wet food brands for cats post.
Originally featured in: Best Grain-Free Dog Food Brands
Second best seller in the category: Rachael Ray Nutrish Zero Grain
Price: $48.99 for 30-pound bag (9 percent off MSRP)
Buy Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food here.
9. Dog Leash: Ruffwear Knot-a-Leash
Ruffwear
In the middle of summer, I took my blue nose pit to the beach on a fairly standard leash which used one of those traditional lobster claw snap hooks, as most do. Sand got into the mechanism, which allowed the hook to get stuck open. It wasn’t long before my dog broke free and sprinted away down the beach. It took us 45 minutes to corral him. It never occurred to me that such a thing might happen, but it’s clearly occurred to the folks buying this leash, since it features a locking carabiner mechanism designed to prevent this very thing. It was 2017’s most popular leash according to our data, and goes with the Knot-a-Collar or makes a fine complement to the company’s Front Range harness.
Originally featured in: Best Dog Leashes
Second best seller in the category: Mighty Paw HandleX2
Price: $34.95
Buy the Ruffwear Knot-a-Leash here.
10. Litter Box: Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan
Petmate
Kitty litter boxes also did very well this year, with this cheap and cheerful option proving to be the best seller of the category. If you want to hide your cat’s litter, control orders, and reduce tracking, this is a great way to achieve all three. This will keep your dogs out of the litter box, and keep your cat from throwing litter all over the floor. Grating on the lid traps litter on your cat’s paws, which then falls back down through the holes. Don’t forget to review your litter options while you’re at it.
Originally mentioned in: Best Covered & Top Entry Cat Litter Boxes
Second best seller in the category: Good Pet Stuff Company Hidden Cat Litter Box
Price: $15.53 (56 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan here.
For a look at all of our posts about pet supplies, check out our Pets category.