HE SKY STAFF, fresh from December's gleeful reviews of toys and treats, put its animal product testing corps to work again this month, this time on the less glamorous but more practical items relating to the necessities of pet life: food, sleep, medical care, travel and grooming.

Supper Time
Our pets are wild at heart, and few are choosy about where they get their food. Any owner who has left the lid off a trash container knows this quite well. Still, a good food dish is an essential for cats and dogs.

For cat or small dog owners who want a bit of style to their servingware, we found the Zen Bowls gift set from Bodhi ($48-$110); the set includes a nonslip, bamboo-look place mat and two ceramic dishes.

Dishes raised on stands are recommended by some veterinarians to make eating more ergonomically comfortable, particularly for older pets. For cats, Sky found a few fashionable choices from Cats Rule. The heart-shaped Eloise's Bowl ($15) is of frosted cast resin, with svelte legs to raise it up. Louie's 2 Bowl Feeder ($45) has two stainless steel dishes set in a resin arch.

The owners of a lovable mutt named Roxy tested out the Elevated Health Diner ($20-$60) by Our Pet's. The Diner, an 8-, 12- or 16-inch-tall plastic table with two large stainless steel bowl inserts, "reduces stress on bones, joints, and muscles," according to the box.

"Give us a break," was the owners' initial response. "Wolves never eat off tables in the wild, right?" But when they saw Roxy try, and fail, to knock the dog food out of the bowl as she so loves to do, the giggles gave way to enlightened grins. They're not sure yet whether Roxy's back appreciates the dish, but theirs do, with less distance to stoop to fill the bowl and no stray dog food to sweep up.

A related take on dog dishes comes from Wet Noz and its Big Pooch ($55). This heavy stainless steel dish will stand up to the most enthusiastic eaters, and definitely solves the problem of the dish being pushed around the kitchen: Little rubber feet keep it in place. A handle at the back means the dish doubles as a scoop.

Nap Time
There seem to be two kinds of pet owners: those who let their animals sleep on their beds and those who don't. Those who don't are certainly more virtuous, more in touch with their position as the head of the household. And they're the ones who buy special beds for their dogs.

Sky's recommendation for top-end luxury is the Urban Sprawl Dog Bed ($49.95-$99.95) from Ruff Wear. Made of durable canvas with a synthetic suede top, the large size satisfied (and fit!) the choosiest Great Dane we could find. And it looks beautiful and refined amongst the furniture for humans.

For more coziness and less cost, we found pet sleeping bags ($17.99-$19.99) from Bamboo. The lightly stuffed sleeping bags have a tasteful Burberry-type plaid flannel lining, with the feline version enhanced with a small pocket stuffed with catnip. We found the canine version best for small dogs-a Pomeranian we know took to hers immediately, though she preferred it unzipped for lounging upon.

The least fetching but most innovative dog bed we found was the Canine Cooler ($39.99-$84.95) from Soothsoft. As its name implies, this water-filled pad keeps dogs' bodies (particularly older bodies) cool and cushioned, and also prevents them from getting calluses from lying on hard vinyl or wood floors.

On the Go
The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, and what will poor Fido do then, poor thing? Saint Bernards and huskies aside, most dogs could use an extra layer during cold weather. To stave off the chill, try Ruff Wear's K-9 Overcoat II ($39.95-$59.95), a sharp-looking vest made of red or blue ballistic nylon and lined with fleece-great for sloshing through marshes and streams, traipsing through burr-filled underbrush, or bounding through snowy fields.

ANIMAL LEGENDS 800-399-7387, www.animallegends.com BAMBOO 800-224-7387 or 818-893-5000, www.bamboopet.com BODHI 800-296-9793 or 310-822-3522, www.bodhitoys.com CATS RULE www.catsrule.com EXHIBITOR LABS 800-377-7963, www.exhibitorlabs.com GLOBAL PET PRODUCTS 877-768-2059 or 336-768-2059, www.globalpetproducts.com MIRACLE CORP 800-635-2044 or 937-293-9994, www.miraclecorp.com OUR PET'S 800-565-2695 or 440-354-6500, www.our-pets.com RODALE 610-967-5171, www.rodale.com RUFF WEAR 888-783-3932 or 541-388-1821, www.ruffwear.com SHURE PETS 888-748-7373, www.shurepets.com SOOTHSOFT 888-244-5569 or 719-226-2873, www.soothsoft.com VOCATIONAL SERVICES INCORPORATED 800-831-7245 or 816-781-5019, www.petfirstaid.org WET NOZ 888-893-8669 or 512-477-9812, www.wetnoz.com

Your active dog will revel in such adventures, but, as the owner of a springer spaniel named Winnie notes, he or she can become a mud magnet and cocklebur collector. Winnie's magnificently feathered legs are mops in disguise, waiting to make a car's back seat look like a Jackson Pollock canvas. To the rescue: The BackSeat Hammock ($66) from Global Pet Products, which protects the car's upholstery and floors, but keeps Winnie comfortably cradled between the front and back seats, close enough to the driver for a pat on the head. The car-width "hammock" attaches to the two front and two rear headrests, but folds out of the way with its clean underside exposed for two-legged passengers to sit on.

Bath Time
First impressions are everything. And that applies to the hair-covered floors in your house as well as to your dog's shedding coat. Enter the Miracle Coat Large Slicker Brush ($10.99) by Miracle Corp. Its thin wire bristles can be used on short or long hair, and are especially good at untangling mats in the undercoat.

A good brushing is best backed up by a good bath. Paramount Medicated Shampoo ($12) from Shure Pets transformed the looks of a senior Great Dane in our midst. Her coat went from dry and dull to shiny and silky after just one bath.

We didn't know horses needed sunscreen, but one look at the faded coat of Journey, a black colt, showed that they do. Quic Screen 8-day UVB sunscreen spray ($20.98-$64.98) and Quic Shade sunscreen and highlighter gel ($9.98) from Exhibitor Labs worked great. The Quic Screen returned Journey's coat from washed-out brown to a shiny jet black, and Quic Shade kept his and his barn-mates' noses from being sunburned.

We did know horses need a lot of grooming. New takes on old standbys are the well-designed Grooma Sof-Touch ($5.99) and Lil' Grooma ($5.99) curry combs from Miracle Corp. The Grooma line also includes other tools with ergonomic handles and grips, including a range of brushes ($8.99 and up) and the Sweat & Shed Scraper ($9.99).

In Case of Emergency
Fido's got a hot spot and Princess Kitty is getting sick on the Persian rug. What to do, what to do? Consult Amy Shojai's book, The First Aid Companion for Dogs and Cats ($19.95), published by Rodale. This guide offers easy-to-read topic chapters, detailing when to take your pet to the vet and when to treat them at home.

Every animal owner should have some basic emergency supplies on hand, and for horses we found Animal Legends' First Aid Kit for Horses ($34.99). A useful carrying case holds the main essentials for a first-time horse owner, including vet wrap, a cold pack, gauze and vitamin liniment for skin soothing and wounds.

For other pets we recommend the first-aid kits from Vocational Services Incorporated. VSI offers an all-purpose pet kit ($22.95), and specialized kits for sporting dogs, birds, cats, horses and foals. Each has a smart selection of both disposable goods and durable tools. An added consideration: The Liberty, Missouri, company that assembles these kits particularly hires people with developmental disabilities.

Sky Executive Editor David Bailey, Copy Editor Sarah Lindsay, Senior Editors Nancy Oakley and Britta Waller, Art and Editorial Coordinator Kris Hudson, and Editorial Intern Melissa Schoonmaker contributed to this article.

illustration by Adam Mccauley and photo by john Kuczala