Briana Kelley, left, and Michele Berger feed their own dogs much of the food they sell at their new The Cat & the Hound Balanced Pet Care store. That way, Kelley said, they can tell customers about what products keep them the healthiest.
Christopher Borro
Briana Kelley and her mother Michele Berger are avid pet-lovers; between them, they have seven dogs.
“Throughout the years our dogs have had certain difficulties or struggles with their health and we found that through nutrition we were able to fix a lot of those difficulties and the ailments that they were having,” Kelley said. “It just contributed to the passion we had for our pets.”
That passion led to the creation of a new business, The Cat & The Hound Balanced Pet Care, at 1737 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The store officially opened Nov. 11.
“All of our kibbles are brands we stand behind,” Kelley said. “There’s something for every person, every price range and every pet’s specific health needs. Everything in here we’ve given to our pets at one point or another.”
Kelley has worked in the pet care industry since 2020 and said she likes helping customers make their pets healthier. To that end, The Cat & the Hound has numerous types of food and treats available for purchase.
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“We have all different types of balanced bases, whether it be kibble, gently-cooked, freeze-dried or raw food, so we always start there,” Kelley said.
Other items for sale include pet toys, collars and cleaning supplies.
Currently, like the name implies, The Cat & The Hound caters exclusively to felines and canines. Though they have a plethora of dogs, the owners made sure to include an entire freezer and special section just for cat food.
Kelley and Berger will host an opening celebration for their store on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25. They will have promotions, discounts and giveaways available then, as well as the day beforehand for Black Friday.
The mother-daughter duo first started work at their Kingshighway location in July, renovating the building and working with suppliers to get ready for opening day.
Henry, a boxer-hound mix, is given a bath by his owner, Trevor Job. Henry was the first dog washed at The Cat and The Hound and is now a weekly customer.
Christopher Borro
One innovative feature of the store is its self-service dog wash.
“We wanted it to kind of feel like a home shower, and we did it the long way instead of straight out from the wall so they’re enclosed on three sides instead of having three sides open,” she said. “Once they’re in there they can’t see the other dogs in the other showers, so it keeps them calm.”
The dog wash is elevated so their owners don’t have to bend over to wash them, and there’s also a smaller station for smaller dogs.
“We provide everything you need: shampoos, conditioners, brushes, blow dryers, towels, the whole nine (yards),” Kelley added. “It’s $15 on regular days, on Sundays it’s half-price, and then we provide a monthly package that’s just $25 a month.”
Beyond just bringing in pets to get washed, Kelley and Berger said customers are free to bring their cats or dogs along to shop with them. The store’s layout is designed to be as pet-friendly as possible.
The store is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call (573) 803-0180.
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