As we cap off National Pet Month, myFM is shining a spotlight on the people, organizations, and businesses helping care for the furry friends that make our community special with our week-long ‘Animal House’ Feature.
Owner Ian Gillespie likes to brand his business, Oh My Fur and Whiskers, as the city’s most interesting pet supply store. It’s a unique shopping experience for the pets, and the humans who accompany them.
The uniqueness begins with the name, stresses Gillespie.
“It’s a whimsical name for a whimsical store. It’s a pet supply store, but it’s also a fun place. I always like to say good stuff for the animals and fun stuff for the humans.”
Gillespie admits that coming to work every day is an enjoyable experience.
“Every business says, oh, we just have the best customers. But I truly do. The people that come in the store, we have the best time. They’re just delightful people. And, you know, they bring puppies.”
It’s the perfect place for those who love to dote on their fur babies.
“There’s dog food, cat food, treats, toys, accessories, plus pe- themed gifts for humans. It could be socks. It could be wallets and purses. It could be pens, keychains. At Christmas time, there’s ornaments. So lots of interesting things for people who love their animals and want to show that off to the world.”
Now if your pet is a picky eater, here’s food for thought from Gillespie.
“I’ve got a brand, a Canadian-made brand, that is a good answer for the little picky eaters. There’s a saying in the pet supply industry, good health starts with gut health. And so feeding a better food, you’ll save money at the vet later because a lot of the problems that you may have to deal with just don’t develop because the dog’s getting all the nutrition it needs from a good food.”
Gillespie continues, “Human food really is not the best thing for dogs or cats. But this is a conversation I have with a lot of folks come in the store that we talk about what are they trying to accomplish? What are their goals for their animal? And can we find something that’s going to help them?
“I always try to find them a Canadian made solution because we have a great pet supply industry on this side of the border and it’s it’s kind of crazy not to support it because they’re doing amazing work.”
And problem solving is all in a day’s work.
“I try to keep up on what’s going on in the industry and research the products that I carry so that I know why I have them in the store. It’s not a random decision. They’re there for a reason. And I can feel good about them and stand behind them and work with companies that stand behind their products as well. So I try to have quality products, which doesn’t mean expensive products.
“Very often there’s really good value to be had in well-made things. And this is a conversation i have a lot of time with people is about problems they’re having in ways that we might be able to solve them and we can try things and see if they work and if that doesn’t work we’ll try something else.”
Gillespie has the following advice for those wishing to welcome a dog or cat into their home, beginning with do your homework.
“I’ve done some work with with rescues over the years as well, so try to support their efforts. There are so many dogs ending up with these rescue organizations that that’s the best place to start to find a find an animal.
“And we have lots right around town. So there are plenty of animals out there that need homes or are looking for homes, and you can probably find one that’s right for you by working with one of these local rescues.”
Oh My Fur and Whiskers is located at 257 Talbot Street. You can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ohmyfurwhiskers/
You can hear more of our interview with Ian Gillespie of Oh My Fur and Whiskers below.
Written by Ian McCallum
