BY KENNATH MARIE WATKINS
trends
Stylish and unusual cat and
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTA HUSA
A
new Ann Arbor boutique seeks to please a
furrier clientele, as its most satisfied cus-
tomers walk through the door on all fours.
Open since October, DogMA CatmaNtoo
offers chic merchandise for pets that match the classy
taste of their masters.
"Your pets are a part of the family, too. Why shouldn't
they have nice things?" asks owner Alice Liberson, a pet
lover and retired veterinarian. "Our pets are an exten-
sion of us, and I want everything in my store to reflect
quality and sophistication," she continues.
dog accessories fill DogMA
CatmaNtoo in Ann Arbor.
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'' '731111125037'
Partnered with her very own canine companion,
Isadora, an 8-year-old Border Terrier, Liberson accom-
plished her goal of owning a place where she can
express her love for pets and style. "I wanted my store
to be decorative, functional and educational. I had fun
putting all my ideas together," she says.
The shop is as comfortable as a small café with it's
pet-isserie," selling gourmet dog treats. Yet, it's deco-
ratively accessorized like a boutique for women, offer-
ing artsy collectibles, seasonal dog jackets, designer
leashes and pet jewelry.
The store is so uniquely designed, that it even has
a floor-level mirror for its preferred customers to view
themselves trying on the latest pet apparel. However,
it does not exclude the practical needs of dogs and
cats, providing food, kitty litter, guidance books and
pooper-scoopers.
All of this was inspired by Liberson's love for ani-
mals and her desire to offer a different kind of pet
service after retiring from a busy veterinary practice. "I
could not be an animal doctor anymore. I was too emo-
tionally attached to my patients, and it became diffi-
cult to deal with the sadder situations. I like this busi-
ness better because it's about animals and the joy they
bring into our lives," she says.
Liberson has been caring for pets since the age of 13
and is always happy to share advice with concerned ani-
mal lovers. Her hopes are for DogMa CatmaNtoo to
become a popular neighborhood resource for people as
they learn to celebrate and understand their pets. II
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