Dogs and their arch rivals, cats, are living the high life throughout Willow Glen, a trend that is barking and even meowing up a storm nationally. These creatures of comfort have come a long way in just a few decades, from a time when dogs and cats were just pets chasing after sticks and balls of yarn. Today a growing number of cats and dogs are clipped and cleaned at home by a mobile pet-grooming service, privy to fancy pet boutique shops and the guest of honor at pet "pawties."

And that's just the tip of the dog biscuit, with local canines displaying their new pet toys and freshly painted "fire hydrant red" nail polish on sidewalks and cafes throughout the community. Dogs can also be seen donning their latest pink dresses and heart-shaped Swarovski crystal collars on any given Saturday morning outside Starbucks or, preferably for Buddy, at the Lincoln Avenue dog boutique Gussied Up.

This is the only boutique of its kind in San Jose; it caters to practically every whim of local dog owners and their pampered pooches. Owner Kimberly Lipsett, 29, says her goal is to have something new in the store every time a customer returns.

She left her former job as a production control manager at Flextronics in San Jose to open Gussied Up, in part to have a workplace where she could bring her Chihuahua and miniature pinscher mix, Gus, to work every day. She visits trade shows and meets with vendors to find unique products not usually found at the average pet shop. And so far, she says, business is booming.

"This store provides a stylish perspective on pet accessories," Lipsett says.

Lipsett's favorite aspect of owning Gussied Up is meeting those who visit the store and making them happy by the time they leave.

She tries to accomplish this by providing a wide range of unorthodox styling products, including nail "pawlish," pet sunscreen and dog hair shampoo and conditioner. The shop also sells furry pink pet carriers, doggles—protective eyewear for dogs—cowboy hats and rhinestone collars. For the dogs coming to the shop, their favorite part is probably the barkery. This section features iced and sprinkled doggie doughnuts, corgi cannoli, colli-e-clairs and Boston terrier pie. The boutique also offers pizza by the slice and liver biscotti.

"We want to be a welcome alternative to the chain pet stores," Lipsett says about her four-month-old shop. "There is always something new to see."

Lipsett houses her pet delicacies at 1310 Lincoln Ave., using half of the store while gift store Seasons in the Glen operates on the other side of the store. But with business on the rise, Lipsett hopes to expand her business to treat cats and their owners to the same luxuries that dogs and their owners are getting.

Where Lipsett has cornered the market on the quintessential dog boutique, Aussie Pet Mobile owner Kerri Evans takes care of cat- and dog-grooming needs. The business began in Sydney, Australia, in 1996 to satisfy a demand for mobile grooming services. It became a success and has rapidly expanded via franchising throughout Australia and the United States. Evans began her local Aussie Pet Mobile franchise in November 2003 and since its inception, the business has grown to grooming about 80 pets per week.

Since many pets are known for becoming nervous around other animals during their grooming service, Evans decided to make the experience less stressful on the animals by bringing the grooming service to the comfortable surroundings of the pet's home. To accomplish this feat, she bought four horse trailers and converted them into one-stop grooming machines, complete with a bathtub. Once a trailer arrives at the pet's home, it hooks up to the home's electric source, which allows warm water to be used while the pet is washed.

Evans says it takes about one hour to groom each animal, with the process closely mirroring that of the average pet grooming shop. So far, her Aussie Pet Mobile franchise treats far more dogs than cats, with about 85 percent dog business and 15 percent cat business.

"Our service is just less stressful for the pet," Evans says. "And a person's time is so valuable these days. They don't have the time to load the pet into the car, take them to get groomed and then wait to pick them up."

Willow Glen resident Alicia Duarte found out about the service from her neighbor. She says her dogs don't mind the car ride to be groomed, but she likes the service because it fits more easily into her own busy schedule. And she likes to be able to watch the entire grooming process, so she can see how her dogs are treated.

"These are our kids," Duarte says. "We try to be the best parents we can."

She pays the Aussie Pet Mobile $115 to groom the two dogs, about $15 more than she previously paid when frequenting her former grooming service, but she says the "excellent service" golden retrievers Duke and Candy receive is a small concession.

Another fan of the Aussie Pet Mobile is Richard Keady. Keady has called upon the business twice to groom his 14-year-old French poodle, Shelly.

Keady says when he used to drive Shelly to the groomers, she would shiver as his Volvo approached the shop.

"She loves the car but not when it went to the groomer," Keady says.

Keady says his silver-and-gray-colored dog is an important member of the family and in addition to the mobile pet grooming service, she is pampered in many other ways. He calls himself her chauffeur, driving her around while she sits in the middle of the car.

"I'm awful," Keady says of his devotion to Shelly. "I just give her lots of affection—let's just say that she has a very nice life."

Shelly isn't the only one living the good life. Cats Howie and Hugo were recently the recipients of cat toys and treats that were purchased for them during a pet "pawty" hosted by their owner, Susan Schmitt, at her Willow Glen home in early June. With the help of "pet adviser" Barbara Curl, Schmitt tacked on a "pet pawty" to a luncheon she was having.

"I've always loved cats and most of my friends are cat lovers, so I think everyone had a good time at the party," Schmitt says.

These pawties, which are coordinated through Pleasant Hill­based Pet Lane, are reminiscent of Avon or Tupperware parties, but instead of people gathering to buy makeup or kitchenware, it's pet lovers gathering in a home to check out and purchase the latest pet gear.

From a catalog that Pet Lane provides for pawty goers, Schmitt picked lamb jerky treats, semi-moist treats, catnip pillows and a few toys for Hugo and Howie. Before everyone arrived at the pawty, they were sent postcard invitations that requested each invitee to come prepared with their cat's neck, chest/girth and shoulder-to-tail measurements. This information becomes helpful when looking at clothes and collars to buy.

Schmitt gladly spreads all the products she bought at the party on her living-room table, saying she tries to set aside time each night to play with her cats. She also varies their toy selection throughout the house, so they often have something new to enjoy.

"My cats will always be my kids," Schmitt says. "My parents even buy them gifts for Christmas."

With the help of Curl, Schmitt says, her pet pawty was a success. Curl is Pet Lane's pet adviser for Willow Glen; an area she says is one of the most dog friendly in San Jose.

"The response we've received toward the business is tremendous," Curl says.

She says a typical party includes a 30-minute demo of some of the products offered in Pet Lane's catalog. Depending on the format set by the host, pawties run from one hour to 1 1/2 hours.

"We are trying to educate people about their pets' needs," Curl says.

One of the company's bestsellers is a pet seat belt. According to Curl, it is the only pet seat belt that has been crash tested, and the seat-belt material is the same as that used for seat belts in many American-made automobiles.

Pet Lane's service, along with Aussie Pet Mobile and Gussied Up, may be just the beginning for specialty pet services, especially in dog friendly Willow Glen. But there's no question about it, for those pets living in the 95125 ZIP code, it's definitely a dog's and cat's life.

For more information about Gussied Up, 1310 Lincoln Ave., call 408.279.2229. To contact Aussie Pet Mobile, contact owner Kerri Evans at 650.269.9774 or visit www.aussiepetmobile.com. For more information about holding a pet pawty, contact Pet Lane pet adviser Barbara Curl at 1.888.870.8324.