Surprise My Pet is a monthly subscription box for both cats and dogs. Each box contains five to seven items including toys, treats, and accessories. Subscribers can expect to save up to 40% off retail pricing. Boxes ship between the 15th and 21st and will arrive within about eight business days.
These monthly subscriptions are for pet families with cats, dogs, or a combination of both. Subscriptions cover a single cat, multiple cats, or a single dog. Of course, you can order multiple boxes per pet in your family.
Each box contains hand-selected items that adhere to a specific theme. Boxes will have between five and seven items that are valued at between $35 to $45. Different “size” boxes include the same number of items but cater to the specific size and preferences of your pet (and you).
All boxes include toys and treats that are not available for sale outside of the subscription boxes. Due to the limited availability, you cannot choose which items go into your box or re-orders ones your pets loved.
To subscribe, click on “Join Our Family” at the top of the website page, no matter where you are on the site. On the next page, select your pet type: Single – Cat Family, Multi – Cat Family, or Dog.
For a single cat or multi-cat family, it’s one size fits all. For dogs, you’ll need to select a pet size: Tiny, Small, Medium, or Large. After that, you’ll choose a subscription plan (1 month, 3 months, or Yearly).
Note that pricing is the same for both cat and dog subscriptions, but for multiple cats, the price increases. Once you’ve made your plan selection (and clicked “SELECT”), you’ll enter your pet’s name, gender, birthday, weight, and your email address.
On the following screen, you’ll enter your shipping address, billing information, and create an account for the website. Once you’ve verified your order and entered the required information, click “CHECKOUT” to complete your order.
Surprise My Pet is unique because it’s run by two young entrepreneurs who are focused on keeping a community feel in their brand. They use customer photos for their packaging, hand-pack each box themselves, curate the products, and put a hand-signed note in each delivery.
Not only that, but they source quality products that they give to their own family pets. The organization also donates to charities that benefit animals, involving subscribers in the process by soliciting nominations for local charities. The winner is chosen at random, and the subscriber who made the nomination gets to deliver the check to their favorite charity.
Regardless of what subscription box or type you select, you’ll receive five to seven items that are appropriately sized and chosen for your pet’s size and type. However, apart from type of animal (cat or dog), size, and single or multi-cat, there are no further customization options.
This means there are no options available for dogs with allergies, or those who are heavy chewers. However, this makes for a simple pricing and ordering structure. Subscription options are discussed further below.
For single cats or dogs, pricing is as follows:
Each box contains five to seven items, including toys and treats. For dogs, the size of the toys included will depend on the size of your pet, whether Tiny, Small, Medium, or Large. You can also change the size later, when your surprise puppy toy becomes too small for your new dog!
For multi-cat families, pricing is as follows
Each box contains five to seven items, including toys and treats.
Overall, the Surprise My Pet review rating is Great on Trustpilot. However, there are a limited number of reviews to look at. The positive highlights from reviewers include pets enjoying the variety of toys and treats plus quick and responsive customer service.
Subscribers appreciate that joining the service really does make them feel like part of a family, thanks to the interconnectedness of the brand and its use of customers’ pups and kitties as poster-animals for the face of the brand.
On Facebook, Surprise My Pet reviews are also overwhelmingly positive with a total of 4.5 out of 5 overall. Subscribers appreciate the handwritten notes (which are addressed to the pets), responsive customer service, and fun toys and treats for pets.
One somewhat negative Surprise My Pet review noted that they had experienced billing issues, including a duplicate subscription. While they appreciated the quality of the products and the enjoyment their pets got from the boxes, they did note it was difficult to resolve the billing issue via email.
It’s worth mentioning that the negative reviews on the company’s Facebook page reflect prior ownership of the company; the brand changed hands in early 2018, and the new owners apparently updated the website and changed a few processes behind the scenes.
Here's a recent unboxing video from Canine Country Academy:
Here are a few questions subscribers frequently ask about this pet subscription box.
Orders ship between the 15th and 21st of each month. Boxes take between two to eight business days to arrive at your doorstep.
You can contact the company’s customer service via email at hello@surprisemypet.com.
Unfortunately, the company does not offer an allergy option for pet subscriptions. Based on prior company reviews, it would appear they may have removed such an option from the signup process.
The company donates to pet-focused causes including the Bow Wow Film Festival, New Beginnings Animal Shelter, Friends of Animals, and more. A portion of each shipped box’s subscription fee goes straight to animals in need.
Beyond the size and type of pet you have, there are no further customization options- the boxes are a surprise, after all! However, each pet receives items that are appropriate for their size and which are specifically for either cats or dogs, depending on your subscription type.
Originally, the company was started by John Ellett, who wanted to offer pet parents accessibility. A subscription box was the ideal way to do it, he said in interviews, and the initial feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
After founding the company in 2015, John was also running Pupster Bakery in New York, as well as Pupster & Co, a dog walking and dog sitting company in Manhattan. He left the company in early 2018 but still runs his local NY businesses.
Surprise My Pet is now run by two teenagers, with the support of their parents! The siblings are based in Washington, PA, and strive to create a sense of community within their brand. They package and sign every box that ships out, and their website highlights the fact that they aim to stay involved with the business, even if that means keeping it small.
And while the original owner was open about his creative process and plans for the company, the new owners are a bit more private with their business endeavors.
Below is a video from the brand about how the monthly subscription process works, and it covers a few of the items that may come in your pet’s box.
