Don't we all snap photos of our pets on vintage midcentury modern furniture? (These adorable dogs apparently prefer fiberglass Eames chairs over an upholstered Marshmallow sofa.)

The animal lovers at Modernica want to see more -- from you.

The store is accepting entries for its Pets on Furniture contest through Jan. 31. Simply upload a photo of your beloved pet on a piece of modern furniture -- think Noguchi or Nelson -- and try to win votes from Modernica's blog readers. Cast your vote too. A winner will be named weekly; a grand prize winner will be announced Feb 14.

Prizes include an Isamu Noguchi coffee table ($695), a Noguchi dining table ($795), a Pierre Paulin easy chair ($1,170) and a George Nelson bubble lamp ($269).

"We're always trying to get people involved," Modernica co-owner Jay Novak says. "It proved to be really popular last year. I got so involved I actually voted last year. Our customers are directors and art directors and cinematographers, so some of the pictures that come in are really fabulous."

Photos must be of a pet on modern furniture -- make sure the furniture is recognizable -- and must be original.

-- Lisa Boone

Photos from Modernica

Sometimes, even the cat needs to downsize.

As manufacturers roll out ever-more-expensive beds and perches for pets, designer Elizabeth Paige Smith has smartly developed a budget-minded addition to her Kittypod line of feline beds and scratching accessories. The new Kittypod Dome ($49.99) just went up on Smith's website.

The cardboard shell comes with an interior scratch pad and little kitty-head-shaped ventilation holes in the back wall. The whole thing is very Frank Gehry meets Mr. Bigglesworth -- a sleek, futuristic seat of power from which the family cat can plot household domination.

Shopping for more presents? The Kittypod Dome is No. 44 in our gallery of 99 gift ideas for home and garden.

-- Craig Nakano

Photo credit: Kittypod

They sit, they stay, they never bark. These cardboard canines are the creations of artist Marc Tetro. Punch out the body shapes from a single sheet of cardboard, follow simple instructions on fitting the pieces together, and voila — man's best cardboard friend.

The artist has designed a dozen variations, including boxer, beagle, basset hound and golden retriever. We picked up the pug and Boston terrier pictured here for $10.95 apiece at the South Pasadena shop Marz, (626) 799-4032. The store reports that it still has Yorkies, schnauzers and Westies in stock.

Tetro's e-store has the whole pack on sale, $10 a dog, with shipping starting at $6.95.

If you're still shopping for a dog or dog fanatic, may we also suggest the Packabowl. The flexible food and water bowl can smush easily into luggage or be tossed into the back of the car. Given how dogs are on their way to supplanting babies as the ultimate objects of household obsession and paranoia, should we be surprised that the manufacturer touts materials that are "BPA and phthalate free"?

Packabowl is $18 plus $7.95 for shipping through manufacturer Polkadog Bakery. Angelenos will find it for $18.99 at Urban Pet.

You'll find more holiday shopping ideas in L.A. at Home's gift guide.

-- Craig Nakano

Upper photo credit: Bob Chamberlain / Los Angeles Times

Lower photo credit: Polkadog Bakery

Oh, the cuteness.

Last year, New York artist Herbert Hoover made a splash with hand-cast versions of solid pewter Saltine-style crackers, which many folks used as fun Christmas tree ornaments. This season Still Life Gifts of Sausalito, Calif., has licensed the classic Milk Bone dog biscuit to create silver- and gold-plated treats. They are actual canine cookies preserved, electroplated and dangled on a satin ribbon.

"I offered it to three family dogs and none of them bit," said Michale Dancer, co-owner of Still Life Gifts, addressing the possibility that the shiny biscuits might be tempting to the family dog. The plating is meant to conceal the scent of the treat, and the metallic sheen is theoretically an additional turn-off.

"It doesn't smell like a dog biscuit, and my Lab is part goat, and even she wasn't interested," said Bonnie Dahan, owner of Vivaterra, the catalog and online company that is carrying the silver Milk Bone. 

If you have a dog that really likes to chew or young kids who might offer it to a pet, "it might be a good idea to hang it out of the way," said Dr. Alexis Cox of the Pet Doctors of Sherman Oaks, adding that metal can be tough on a dog's teeth and digestive system.

The silver bone is $20 at Gumps. Vivaterra normally sells it for $24 but is offering it for $19; to obtain the $5 discount, enter the promotional code LATB at checkout. 

-- David A. Keeps

Photo credit: Vivaterra

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I love August. That's when interior designer shopkeepers start coming back from their shopping trips and decide to put everything on sale so they'll have space in the store for their latest finds when the shipping containers arrive. Such is the case with Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe, principals of the design firm Nickey Kehoe and owners of NK Shop.

"We went shopping in France and need to make room, so we decided to put everything on sale," Kehoe said. The storewide 25% reductions, which run through Saturday, apply to vintage items as well as the NK Collection of furniture, which includes a tufted headboard, early 20th century Viennese and French neoclassical-inspired dining chairs, upholstered ottomans and the recently introduced industrial-chic doggie bed, above. 

Modeled by Hedy, who belongs to Nickey, the 8-inch-thick bed has a polyester filling and a removable cover made of vintage army tent fabric. It comes in two sizes: The small (originally $150, marked down to $112.50), shown here, is 30 inches by 20 inches; the large (originally $185, marked down to $138.75) is modestly larger, 40 inches by 30 inches. (Sorry, Marmaduke, you're out of luck.)

Though it is known for 20th century American and Scandinavian designs, NK Shop also carries rustic, industrial and Continental pieces. Among them: French slipper chairs, a carved English armchair and these 1940s Spanish side chairs. Newly recovered in burlap with brass nail heads, they have turned wood frames and tooled leather backs. During the sale, they are reduced from $375 to $281.25 each. 

One exception to the price reductions: Matteo linens, which are made to order, are not marked down.

730 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 957-0370.

-- David A. Keeps

Photo credits: Stephen Simon (top); 1stdibs

This just in: The Pet Gear Clip-On Pet High Chair.

Says the news release from CSN Stores: "This hilarious high-chair is a must-have for any dog who wishes to dine in style with the family and forgo the usual scraps from the floor."

Price: $36.95.

Is it just me or does even the dog seem to be saying, "Are you kidding me?"

Reader captions welcome. Submit them via comments.

-- Craig Nakano

Photo credit: CSN Stores

UPDATED! Check out the Hammacher Schlemmer variation, if only for the photo.

Who knew poop could look this good?

The Santa Barbara-based company PoopPac has just released a new lightweight pet waste carrier that allows you to carry your dog's droppings like a purse or fanny pack.

Susan Davidson came up with the idea while watching people exercise their dogs on the beach in Santa Barbara one morning. "I was struck by just how many people were holding their 'used bag' in one hand, and their coffee in the other – yuk!" she writes on the PoopPac website. 

The PoopPac's patented design has two separate compartments. The main compartment features a wipe-clean lining and charcoal filter to contain your bagged package -- and its odors. A separate compartment can hold personal items such as keys, phone or iPod.

The pac measures 7-by-5½-by-3¼ inches and is machine washable. It comes with a built-in belt clip, removable wrist lanyard and a removable carabiner clip. An optional removable shoulder strap is sold separately for $4.95.

Available exclusively at www.pooppac.com for $29.95 plus tax and shipping.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: PoopPac

With all the modern pet decor on the market -- dog blankets knit from dog fur, modern kitty litter boxes, eco-friendly cardboard cat houses, bird feeders as sculpture -- it's not surprising that a modernist fish tank would debut for spring.

The Fishcondo, designed by Teddy Luong, a student at Carleton University School of Industrial Design, won first place at Umbra's "Build a Better" design competition. This mod aquarium is basically a glass fish bowl with a white ABS plastic shell that creates floors and windows. The glass bowls can be taken out for easy cleaning. 

The units, which are 7.5 inches square and 8 inches high, can be stacked to create a condo-like appearance. $25 from Unica Home. Shipping is $8.50 and begins in June. For more details, click here.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Umbra

Among designer Sandy Chilewich's designs for spring and summer: a whimsical collection of pet mats made of the firm's signature basket-weave vinyl flooring.

The $35 bone-shaped mats come in chestnut, lemon, mango, lime and platinum. Each mat also features a puppy cutout in the center.

As always, one of the best things about a Chilewich place mat or table runner is that it can be wiped clean with a sponge, or placed under the faucet.

To see Chilewich's entire spring-summer collection for 2010, go to www.chilewich.com.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Chilewich

Become a fan: Dog freaks welcome. Cat people too. Join us on Facebook.

When it comes to modern pet product designs, dogs always seem to have a leg up. Now, cool cats can chill in the Canadian Cabin for Fluffy Little Critters, an eco-conscious, flat-pack cardboard cat house by Montreal industrial designers Marie-Pier Guilman and Maud Beauchamp.

Inspired by their cats, Felix and Lolotte, who love cardboard boxes, Guilman and Beauchamp wanted to improve upon the usual scratching posts and carpeted kitty condos.

"We thought it was time to do something funny for cats that we'd be proud to show in our own homes," Guilman says, adding that the design also is appropriate for rabbits, ferrets and small dogs.

The result: a no-tools-required playhouse based on a Canadian hunting chalet. It has a roof that can withstand 30 pounds of fat-cat weight and a wood-grain-printed front and back. (The sides and roofs can be customized with your own art supplies.) The front door can be crowned with four interchangeable decorative elements, including a nameplate and the trophy moose head. The back has peep holes. The kit also includes non-slip rubber cushions, cardboard playing balls (dangling from a string above) and a textured cardboard carpet inside for scratching. 

The Canadian Cabin is $30 at Plastica in Los Angeles. Replacement carpets are three for $5. For videos and a photo gallery of satisfied cat customers, visit Guilman and Beauchamp's ridiculously adorable Loyal Luxe website. We've also got more cute photos after the jump ...

It might look like a fashion boutique, but that's actually a pet supply store on Santa Monica's Main Street.

The minimalist Animal Wellness Centers, with its clean white finishes, high ceilings and carefully displayed merchandise, looks far more Kitson than Petco.

Designed by Rania Alomar, the 2,000-square-foot store is a study in split-level decor. From about 3 feet down, the interior was created to appeal to dogs. Display tables are positioned to make "dog-friendly pathways for exploring," says Alomar, who also installed mirrors along certain vertical surfaces.

"Dogs are fascinated by their reflection," says co-owner and veterinarian Dr. Annie Harvilicz, above. "We want dogs to feel as comfortable here as their owners." To that end, there is also plastic grass carpeting, pet- and human-friendly seating and a play zone filled with dog toys.

Above 3 feet, this shop appeals to the extremely health- and design-conscious animal owner. There are elevated wooden dog bowls, cat beds, leashes, pet food, homeopathic animal supplements and shampoos from Harvilicz's line. And starting this month, the company will offer veterinarian house calls to Westside pet owners.

Animal Wellness Centers, 2803 Main St., Santa Monica; (310) 450-7387 or www.animalwellnesscenters.com.

More photos after the jump ...

The 4,000 dogs and cats living at SPCALA shelters are almost out of food, and the animal welfare group is asking for emergency contributions of money and food from individuals.

“Until the bad economy, we fed our animals with donations from pet food firms, big-box stores and corporations," said Madeline Bernstein, president of the 133-year-old nonprofit organization. "Now they've all but stopped donating.”

Donations have dwindled to less than 10% of what they were before the recession, she said.

“We have no budget for food. We never needed one," Bernstein said. "We’re taking in more homeless pets than we can adopt out, and we’re trying to ship smaller animals to other cities where they can be better fed. Many of these animals come from people who’ve lost jobs and homes and are forced to give up their pets. We need help.”

Bernstein asked for gifts of dry dog and cat food of any kind. Also needed: canned food, special diet food for sick animals, formula for babies that must be bottle-fed, and cat litter. Donations can be dropped off at the SPCALA shelters in Long Beach, (562) 570-7722, or Hawthorne, (310) 676-1149; or at the Los Angeles headquarters, (323) 730-5300.

-- Bettijane Levine

Photo: A Chihuahua mix named Baldwin, who was adopted from the SPCALA shelter in Long Beach. Credit: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times.