Whiskers Holistic Pet Store

My pets love the food here! Oreo the husky puppy goes crazy for their homemade tubs. Greatest selection of products and treats.

Finding this place saved my dog’s life. Phil and Joe are so much more knowledgeable than ANY veterinarian. I came here about a year ago when my dog was having severe skin and allergy issues, Phil consulted with me for a half hour and thought me a lot about feeding a raw diet, and gave me the appropriate supplements to help as well. I saw a noticeable change in my dog within the first two weeks after consulting with Phil.
Recently, I made a big mistake of taking my dog to the vet, only to have them over vaccinate her… Causing her to go into anaphylactic shock. I went to Joe the day after to see what we could do to get her healthy again. He gave me the supplements I needed, and she’s back to her healthy self.
Just listen to what they tell you to do and i guarantee they will solve your pets problem.
Thank you so much!

Highly Highly Recommend. This is the BEST pet store in NYC.
I’ve consulted Phil on a number of occasions (for my 18 year old dog) and every time his holistic treatments have WORKED! His knowledge is awe-​inspiring. I’ve saved thousands of dollars in Vet bills by simply following Phil’s holistic prescriptions. My 18 ½ year old dog is going strong, thanks to Phil and WHISKERS.
The staff is lovely. Their delivery service is first rate.
Thank you Phil for all that you do for our beloved animals!

If your pet is sick or has health issues, Whiskers should be on your list of places to come get advice. I’ve been a customer for ten years to get their advice on healthy food and treats — they stock many reputable brands and are knowledgeable about ingredients, so they are a good resource for general health and feeding for your pet.
But they are also a great resource for an ailing pet. I literally carried my 14 year old dog into Whiskers last fall when he had been getting sicker and sicker for four weeks, the vet didn’t have any more ideas for treating his pancreatitis that we hadn’t already tried, he had basically stopped eating, and he didn’t even have the energy to walk the four blocks with me over to Whiskers. I carried him in, barely holding myself together, and found Phil, since I had heard that he had saved the health of many a Village pet. And we needed all the help we could get.
Phil listened to what we had tried at the vet, the long list of foods my dog refused to eat (not only dog food, but also turkey, chicken, and not even beef reliably, because he was so ill that his appetite was gone), and my complete desperation to help him get better. He sent us around the corner to get a particular cut of meat from the local butcher, managed to hand-​feed my dog to eat a few bites of it, and sent me home with an herbal medicine to add to this meat with specific instructions for feeding him. I hand fed my boy as Phil instructed for a week with the medicine, grateful for every bite he took, and together with the vet’s treatments, he slowly began to improve instead of decline for the first time in a month. After another month, he was back to his old self, and he’s been in good health for five months now after this episode.
I am so grateful that Whiskers is so close by, because it’s priceless to have a knowledgeable resource like Phil and the Whiskers team at your side in the midst of a scary pet health crisis. Much thanks to Whiskers for helping to get my boy back to feeling good again!

Phil and Joe at Whiskers literally saved my cat’s life. About 3 years ago kitty got sick, couldn’t hold down food, had a fever and was losing weight. She was underweight to begin with. The vet’s main treatment was prednisone, but eight months and $ 2700 later, the treatment wasn’t working and kitty was getting sick all over again. In desperation I went to Whiskers and asked for help. Joe held my hand and instructed me every step of the way. I’d come in every 3 or 4 weeks to get more instructions as I slowly learned how to get kitty well. Joe and Phil, both generous with their time and knowledge, were genuinely concerned. It took me months and months to learn which foods worked, which did not, and how to slowly introduce novel proteins into her diet. Then once I’d found them, I learned how to rotate them and how to mix her food with a special cat enzyme to help her digestion. Over the next two years, we slowly found our way to 3 novel proteins which kitty not only tolerated, but which she loved. I learned canned food didn’t agree with her at all. The ticket was raw frozen rabbit, venison and pork (she didn’t like lamb). I started with Natural Instinct Rabbit. Now she’s eating frozen raw Primal rabbit, venison and pork like a champ. For the first time in her life — she’s 14 years old now — she has a healthy appetite, and has finally put on the weight she should be at and kept it there.
I am truly grateful for their expertise and kindness in helping me to have kitty healthy, happy and around for a few more years.

I came here for some advice about how to navigate the wide variety of calmatives for dogs they have. I have a fairly strong foundation in positive reinforcement dog training and had been working with my dog’s reactivity for months but wanted to try out some calming remedies for certain situations where he gets over-​aroused and training/​management gets out of my control. With no expectation for a «magic pill,» I was hoping for a recommendation and rundown of their different products, pros and cons for my dog’s circumstances, and a better understanding of ingredients.
Instead, Phil refused to listen to my explanations about my dog’s over-​arousal and instead man-​splained dog training beliefs that have been long disproven by behavioral scientists. He still touts «leader of the pack» and «dominance» theories without keeping up with scientific advancements in the field demonstrating that such theories are utter nonsense because domestic dogs aren’t wolves and dogs’ relationship with their humans is not at all like wolves’ relationships to their packs. When I asked a specific question about the product he was promoting, he ignored me and told me that my dog was trying to dominate me because he wanted to be the «leader of the pack» and recommended that I «show him who’s boss» and «not be a wuss.» Great, I’m sure that helps a lot of people coming to a store to understand different products. If he had bothered to listen to anything I said, he would have understood that the problems were more due to mild separation/​abandonment anxiety in public. He did not ask me any questions about my dog before pushing certain products, so he’d have no idea if they would interfere with any existing conditions.
When I entered this store upon the recommendation of my dog walker, I had high hopes and was happy to pay higher prices to support a local store which would provide me individualized advice. Since I received rude, sexist, ignorant customer service instead, I put down the bottles I was given and I’ll go back to amazon reviews to better understand the difference between the products and buy them online for much cheaper.

the best! so helpful, they are very knowledgeable on my cat’s diet and really help troubleshoot my IBS cat

I called Joe for the first time after I found out Maggie had cancer. He was so caring and uplifting I was in tears on the phone because he cared so much. I brought both my dogs for a visit and I couldn’t be happier. Maggie is managing her cancer as Joe at Whiskers gave better advice than the vet. I am so grateful for this place! And they deliver! My younger dog will be so much healthier thanks to Joe and the people at Whiskers. He even put Maggie on the prayer list. A pet store with a prayer list… Now that is love! Biggest thing he taught me… that I had to keep my energy up so Maggie didn’t get depressed. I made up a happy song I sing her! Cheesy I know but… I will do anything to make her feel better! This is more than just a pet store… they really care about you and work with you to make a plan you and your dog can manage.

This place doesn’t CARE for about animals. They are AWFUL PEOPLE HERE. I adopted a kitten here about 5 months ago. The medical records were so unclear that my vet took 30 mins just trying to figure what the hell was given to the poor cat. The shots were all wrong/​out of date, no date of birth, nothing was done correctly. Even my vet (in Brooklyn) believe this place is not fit for animals due to their records. Now I found out she has feline herpes. I’m deeply upset for my kitten. She’s the sweetest baby ever, she’s so playful and smart and a joy in my life. I’m hurt because my kitten had to be in a place like whiskers. I will do whatever it takes to make my cat healthy. I’m happy I have her now because no living being should be treated poorly! I should report this place to ASPCA. The litter in there was always filthy and the den they were kept in was gross and uncared for. Avoid this hell hole for animals. I’m in shock a pet store would treat a living being like this.
Also keep in mind:
1– Over priced, and I mean by 125% more than anything else in the neighborhood. (Wee pads, food, toys and accessories)
2– Again, a pet store that should help animals can’t even keep the space the animals are in clean! I get it, cats are difficult and could be messy. BUT ITS YOUR JOB TO CLEAN AFTER THEM! I clean after my pets ALL THE TIME and no one pays me.
3. Number 2&3 is just the lack of caring going on here. Everyone runs around like chickens without heads.
4. I always get Joe Schmo in the back of the place telling me what food I should feed my cats. Excuse me, are you a vet? Telling me the food I feed my cats (Wellness Core indoor formula) is just like feeding my cats BAGS OF POTATOCHIPS? I’m sorry, are you out of your damn mind?
5. Pretty much all the employees here are burn outs. And shouldn’t be allowed to talk to customers like they are children.
****** UPDATE******
If you are going to deal with this place, the owner here, RANDY, is viscous. She will HARASS you via Facebook Messager and will go out of her way to find your number on adoption papers to BLAME YOU AND ACCUSE YOU OF LYING IN THE HARDEST TONE, DENYING ANY TRUTH AND WILL DISREGARD THE ANIMALS AND TRY TO PROVE HERSELF RIGHT. Wow Randy, you just keep digging your own grave! Is this how you represent yourself and your business?! Through harassment? Someone needs to teach you a lesson on business management. How dare you. And don’t try writing to me via Unilocal,you will just make yourself look like a fool.

my cat has acid reflux. my vets keep giving me an expensive Rx that is hard and complicated to get and makes my cat vomit. By chance, I asked this store if they had something that could help my pet. Instantly, They gave me an enzyme powder for $ 15 and it works. My cat and I are grateful.

I’m so appreciative to have found this place. My dog has been scratching himself far too often and at times rather violently, for 7 months. I keep asking my vet about it and she shrugs it off as «just allergies». Well, my 10 y.o. pooch developed his first almost hotspot last night and is starting to lose fur around his eyes. I kept doing my own research and found he must have a severe allergy issue. Googled holistic pet store today and found Whiskers. Off we went tonight, and Joseph armed us to the teeth with supplements, food and instructions, so thorough and he never got tired of my questions. In fact, he went on to make some recommendations for me even. It’s all much appreciated! I was amazed to discover that I’ve been feeding my dog poorly all of this time — he advised that a diet of only kibble doesn’t give the dog enough nutrition — hardly any at all, in fact. Oy.
If only human doctors were as kind and generous with their time. AND amazingly, they deliver to Brooklyn twice a week! I asked — they’ve been in business for 20 + years. Makes sense, because no one today has this level of customer service. I’m literally excited to see what I learn and discover next to help my doggie live his best life.
Thank you!

Definitely happy this place is around the neighborhood. The employees here know their animals and offer great advice for better, more holistic remedies. My cat is very anxious and they gave us pointers right away as well as the best way to go about it. We definitely did not want to put her on chemical substances and they offered herbal remedies to match what the vet was recommending. Also very happy that they have organic wholesome food choices rather than the corporate stuff that pet stores usually have. They also offer free delivery if you’re within their radius!!! The only reason I wouldn’t give them a complete 5 star review is because they can be very pricey. I was able to find the frozen food for less in our Unleashed store on 2^nd avenue. Other than that, very great place for animals and their animal parents.

Stopped in to this pet supplies store because I have a friend that is so glutenish i now am on the hunt for these places as well as pet stuff. I have to check out this place down near 2 nd avenue.

Great advice and love of animals is what you’ll find in this store, plus very friendly staff. They were also extremely generous with food samples for our doggie so we didn’t invest in some food that she wouldn’t like. This is the place to go!

I am very happy we have this business in the neighborhood. My cat has allergies (it is still a mystery as to what) and I have been trying all kinds of things for the last seven months. I went into this store and explained my cat’s problem and they were more than happy to not only recommend things I could do to help her allergies, but they also explained the proper dosage, how to give the supplements, etc., while I carefully took notes.
More recently, I bought a bag of limited ingredient dry cat food for my cat who wasn’t eating her wet food. The dry cat food made my cat sick (and as I have read online, seems to make other cats sick too). I explained the problem to the store and they agreed to give me a store credit, even though they normally don’t take back opened bags of food and even though it is the manufacturers fault that my cat got sick from the food and not their fault. I really appreciated this gesture because the food was expensive.
The store is very reasonably priced. It may cost a few dollars more than what you can buy online, but it is worth the extra dollar or two to keep a business like this in the neighborhood.
Finally, they also have cats and kittens up for adoption at the store. They don’t believe in selling cats, so they charge a very low adoption fee — only $ 65 per cat ($ 100 if you adopt two), which is intended to recoup at least some of their costs. As someone who has adopted pets before, this is much lower than the adoption fee charged by other shelters.
A good business all around.

Whiskers is wonderful! My 10 yr old Akita was diagnosed with a highly aggressive cancer. We were doing chemo, but she was still given 2 months to live. As soon as I got her diagnosis, I went straight to Whiskers. They gave me holistic nutrition advice and recommended several supplements. Yes, there were quite a few supplements, but I’ll do anything for my baby. We gave the supplements while also doing traditional chemo.
Now those two months have long passed and she is still doing wonderfully! She has puppy zoomies again and is chasing the cats. I haven’t seen her this energized in years! She also has hip dysplasia and arthritis, but she feels so much better with the diet change and supplements that nothing is slowing her down! I know it sounds hard to believe but it is 100% true! I really do believe that the holistic care has treated what traditional medicine could not. I highly recommend Whiskers to everyone.

I’ve been a customer and a fan of this shop for years. Besides all the good food they carry, they have a great selection of vitamin and supplement. They also have very knowledgable staff to recommend what you need. They have even accommodated my needs when I’m not in manhattan with providing shipping service. Their reward program is the best be sure to sign up for it. Points add up real fast for a quick redemption.

Best Pet Store for sure! Always top advise on how to best care for my 3 rescued cats. The owners 2 cats lived into their high 20’s! I want mine to also so I feed and care for them as they direct me. Thank God at 13 yrs old, they are healthy and happy. «Thanks Whiskers!»

i only found this store because they were the only ones who had a supplement for my dogs that I could only get on line. Well an angel must have sent me there to find another angel named Phil. To appreciate Phil is to love him. A bit gruff in nature but get past that and LISTEN. He got one of our dogs diagnosed with kidney disease basically cured with the vet wondering in bewilderment how it was possible. I don’t think I’d ever not go to him first for advice. Thank you Phil. You’re the best.
Please don’t review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you’re connected in any way to the owner or employees.

Your eyes will gravitate towards the storefront, just as mine did, due to its psychedelic wall.
And as soon as you open the door, you are welcomed by a big sign that kindly says «No Photos please». It is most likely due to price competition in Manhattan, so I kindly respected their policy and did not take photos like I normally would have.
But I got to say, their prices are just as high as any of the other shops I’ve been to, maybe a little cheaper compared to the more ‘upscale’ Mom & Pop shops in neighborhoods such as the Upper East and Chelsea.
For example, my dog’s Nature’s Variety raw food at the local Pet Central was $ 15.99. It was $ 19.99 at Whiskers Holistic.
The inside of the shop is just as numbingly psychedlic as their storefront, but you can tell that the employees know where everything is. I guess you can say that the entire shop is an organized mess.