Cool stuff for us and our faithful companions:
• The Diner Pet collection of retro-styled ceramic dishes and place mats is perfect for hip cats and dogs. Matching place mats also are available. $11.95, www.wrap ables.com.
• Check out the Limelight line of Kennel Club greeting cards spotlighting cute critters (breeds and mutts), along with a pretty accurate description of each and why you should adopt one (''The Mutt: . . . tends to be smarter than the average Joe and has no pretensions; taking in this happy accident is an act of good will that pays off in spades.'' Inside notation: ''If I follow you home, can I stay?'') $2.75 each, www.highcotton.com.
• Quarters for the parking meter, spare change left over from your daily lattes, both good reasons to keep a coin purse instead of dumping all that silver in the bottom of your handbag.
Collect that extra jingle in one of Fluff's animal-motif coin purses. Made of faux leather with stitched nylon interior and a sturdy clasp (some styles feature die-cut motifs and embroidery), you can proclaim your fondness for Persians, Pomeranians or just about any breed that suits your fancy. $14-$17, http://bowsawowsa.com.
• A charming new book about pets has been called the first comprehensive account of the history of the relationship of Americans to their dogs, cats, pigs and parrots.
This country's infatuation with pets is longstanding, according to Pets in America (Harcourt Books; $16) by Katherine C. Grier, a professor of material culture studies and director of research programs at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. The book discusses pet-keeping in the original North American colonies, where dogs and cats were brought from Europe as both workers and companions, and in some cases, status symbols.
