Animal friendly

These city hotels and restaurants welcome you and your furry friend


Team After Hrs

So you want to head out to grab a bite, but don’t want to leave your pet at home? While Mumbai may not be counted as one of the most pet-friendly cities in the world, there are some options where you can hang out with your pet while grabbing some great grub.

Cafe Moshe, Cuffe Parade

Located in a beautiful old building, Cafe Moshe has proved to be among the popular eateries. And besides it’s delicious food, it also happens to be pet-friendly. So if you are hanging around town, the outdoor section of this cafe is open to your furry friend.

Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, Worli

Considering how difficult pet owners find to take a holiday with their pooches, this a perfect option not just for an afternoon visit, but for a staycation as well. Besides being pet-friendly, a room here will ensure that your pet is well-looked after. He/she will have his/her own bed, toys and other amenities like a dog walker at his/her disposal. There will be some extra charge, but pet lovers won’t mind that too make sure they and their pet have a great time at this hotel which has pet-friendly staff.

Leaping

Windows, Versova

A comic-lovers’ dream cafe, pet mommies and daddies will be happy to know that Leaping Window will let them hangout with their pet in tow. The outside areas of this eatery that serves some great food is open to you and your pet. Do give it a try if you are in the suburbs and don’t want to leave your pet at home when you

step out.

The Bagel Shop, Bandra (W)

Known for their delicious bagels and smoothies, this place will let you spend some quality time with your pet. The outdoors are pretty spacious, cozy and open to pet and owners, while the inside area is for those who prefer to spend time minus any animals for company. This cafe has been around for many years now and has proved to be a favourite with both locals and tourists who come visiting.

Gostana, Khar

Gostana is not just one of the places that serves great food, but it also makes sure that your pet can have a bite or two. All you have to do is tell them in advance about your plans and they will welcome you and your four-legged friend. You may in fact find owner Aparna Gwalani’s pet Labrador Apple hanging out at the restaurant to make you and your pet feel at home.

 Pet talk



Team After Hrs

To quote George Eliot, who once said, “Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” And that’s probably why many pet lovers cannot begin to imagine their lives without their pet companions. And as today is celebrated as World Animal Day, it gives pet lovers another reason to celebrate and express their eternal love for their four-legged friends. Here’s what they would like to say to them on this special day.

Jacqueline Fernandez

I’ve grown up with seven dogs, two cats, turtles, fish, four rabbits and a lot of stray cats and kittens. I would bring home as well a baby mouse I kept in my doll house but my mum didn’t let me keep her. Right now, I have a little kitten in Mumbai. Her name is Miumiu. Pets can teach us so much about compassion and responsibility and today I would like to thank her for teaching me that.

Tusshar Kapoor

My dog Poshto is a mini Pomerian that I got from Punjab four years ago. He is very cute, but a little brat. My father has spoilt him. He is now the grandchild of the house! I feel he more or less understands what I say, so the one thing I’d like to tell him is that the plumber, electrician, tailor or any person working in the house is okay and he should stop barking unnecessarily!

Sidharth Malhotra

Pets love you unconditionally and actually they give you more than what you end up giving them. My pet boxer is like family to me. I feel it’s very important for all of us to care of them. Caring for animals somehow makes all of us more human.

Vir Das

I would tell my dog how much he makes me laugh. I spend my whole life making other people laugh and genuinely, I think he is way funnier than me. He’s the funniest part of my day and as a professional comedian, that’s saying a lot.

Kalki Koechlin

I would ask my cat Dosa for forgiveness. I travel so much for work that I often leave him at friend’s homes and he doesn’t like that. He usually sulks a lot after I return from my trip and won’t spend time with me nor eat his food for a day or two after I’m back.

Sunny Leone

My husband Daniel Weber and I have two rescue dogs — Chopper and Lilu. They’re mixed breed. I have no idea how old they are. On Animal Day, I’d like to tell them that I love them and want them to know they give us joy in life.

Shefali Alvares

Max is our beagle and he turns one on October 28. I’d tell him that he’s my first baby and that I am madly in love with him. We got him when I was three months pregnant and for a couple of months, he slept on me. Then my daughter arrived and now, he protects her bed and licks her toes. He’s the most intelligent, amazing creature I know and I wouldn’t want to spend a day without him. I tell him this everyday and I’m pretty sure he understands.

Amaal and Armaan Mallik

Amaal: Handsome Mallik, our Chow Chow, is eight months old. He usually comes and sleeps under my piano when I’m sitting to compose. I think he loves my instrumental stuff, but hates EDM (laughs). And he sleeps like a monk. This World Animal Day, I’d like to tell him to wag his tail vigorously, if he feels that the song I’ve made will become a hit.

Armaan: I’d like to ask Handsome how he manages to get us to do whatever he wants.

Yami Gautam

We have had a pet at home ever since I was a baby, so my love for animals is very natural. I feel they make us more compassionate and sensitive. We need to do whatever it takes to make them feel loved and protected. My message for Polo is — you complete our family! I love you, Polo!

Gurmeet Choudhary

I am pretty sure my pet Dexter listens to me all the time because I’ve noticed him reacting to things I say and do. But If there is one thing I’d want him to know it’s that he is my best friend forever. I want to tell him that the way he greets me in the morning or jumps all over me when I am back from a long schedule absolutely makes my day.

Rithvik Dhanjani-Asha Negi

All that we want to tell Murphy is — Thank you for coming into our lives. You have fulfilled a very important part of our lives and we would have never realised it if it wasn’t for you! We love you.

Karan Patel

I’d love my pet Naughty to know how special he is to my life. He is my jaan. One more thing I want to tell him is that he has the best life in the world. Sometimes, I wish I could swap my life with him — he gets to sleep whenever he wants and enjoys life without having to slog it out!

Amit Sadh

I have three dogs now, they mean the world to me! Liam is nine, Coca is two and Brando is three-months-old.

Diandra Soares

I would tell my pets ­— Thank you for your unconditional love, for not judging me and knowing how to bring a smile on my face. I’d thank them for knowing when I am down and out and becoming more loving and supportive in those times. I feel they do understand me because I can see it in their eyes and their demeanor changes instantly.

Nimrat Kaur

I have two stray cats . A mother, Kitcat and her son, Karamchand. They mean home to me and keep my life full of warmth and purrs making the toughest days most wonderful once I get home.

Nachiket Barve

There’s a communication that transcends language and my dog Sir Theodore Goldenridge already understands how much I love him... If I could articulate better in his language I would thank him for bringing such joy into our lives. I would tell him that I wish I could spend more hours of the day with him and that loving him has made me a better person. He is not just a pet but a family member.

Pritish Nandy

I have many pets. Too many to name... Mowgli, Mojo, Mogambo, Rani, Mystique, Mambo No 5, Pretty Ugly, Raja, Mischief, many many more. Some live at home. Many in the neighbourhood. Others down the road. They are all my family. They eat with us. They love us to death. And once in a while, when one of them passes away, we all grieve as if a family member has gone. Bush, 116, if you calculate his age in human terms, used to live just outside the US Consulate. He went away recently and got a front page obituary in The Times of India.

Aarti Surendranath

I have two dogs (one passed away) — Sandfire and Sparkle — who have grown quite old now. I adopted them when they were puppies and it’s been 13 years now. What I would tell my pets (and to all other animals in general), if they could hear me is — To bear with us human beings. We are not as sensitive, forgiving and caring, and capable as they are. I apologise for what mankind has done by taking over their world completely. Slowly and steadily people will understand and things will change for the better.

Pia Trivedi

I believe my pets understand me quite well. In fact, they even pick up on different languages. More than them listening to me, I wish my dog Sky and my cats could talk back to me. I wish I knew exactly what they’re saying.

Pooja Bedi

I actually talk to four dogs — Magic, Pandora girl, Ladoo and Gaga — all the time. I always feel like they understand me. It’s almost like we share a telepathic connection. I want to convey pure emotion. I have tremendous love and attachment for them and I know that they can sense and feel that all the time.

Sayali Bhagat

I have a Shih Tzu named Tipu who is eight months old. A friend of mine was shifting abroad and so she gave me the puppy and I took him in. What I’d like to tell my pet if he could hear me is that he is a member of my family, he’s like my little kid and he doesn’t need any assurance for that. Also, the little attention-seeking tricks he does are adorable!

Kapil Sharma

I got my pet dog Zanjeer from a couple who looks after abandoned animals and birds. If you go to their house you feel as if you’ve entered a zoo. Zanjeer used to be a police dog, but has now been abandoned. I fell in love with him immediately. My father used to be in the police service. He died when I was only 15. When my mother saw Zanjeer she immediately said, ‘Your father has sent him to us.’ In no time he has become everyone’s favourite at work and at home. My only request to people with pets is to not abandon them when they grow old. People eagerly and happily bring home dogs when they are cute puppies. But when the puppies grow into dogs they no longer find them cute. The dogs become a burden on the family and so they abandon them. This is as inhuman as abandoning your own children. Please don’t bring pets home unless you are confident you can look after them all their lives.

Sahil Aneja, designer

I have a pet dog, who is a year old, and his name is Dubsy. I would want him to talk back. I would like to tell him that I love him a lot and I wish he could be with me forever.

Wendell Rodricks

My pets hear and understand everything I say. But if I could tell Sophia one thing on World Animal Day it would be — Don’t shadow me everywhere as the other three doggies, Zeus, Athena and Tyra get jealous.

Maheep Kapoor

I would tell my dog (Scooby Kapoor) that he’s my kids’ best friend.

Pooja Bhatt

I have seven dogs and four cats. The cats live with me in Mumbai and my dogs live at my farm an hour out of the city.

Rashami Desai

My pet dog’s name is Oreo, whose breed is Pekingese. He is seven months old. I bond with him majorly. The one thing I would like to say to him is — Thanks for being there unconditionally and I love you and can’t think of living without you.

Ravi Dubey

My dog is called Moyo and his breed is Cavapoo. He is three-and-a-half years old. Sargun and I are very connected and involved with our pet. If he could hear me I would tell him — You bring a lot of joy to my home and life. Thank you for being there always.

Ssharad Malhotraa

I have a four-year-old pug. His name is Masakali(Musky). The one thing I would like to say to him is — Thank you so much for bearing with all my crankiness, grumpiness and mood swings. Also, for loving me unconditionally and being there with me in the best and worst of times. I love you too.

Vivian Dsena

I would tell my cats Chocopie and Costa — I love you. You always make me feel at home with your presence.

Rahul Da Cunha

My cat’s name is Tina Turner. The one thing I would like to say to her is — It would be great if we could sleep at the same time. Not you in the day and me at night!

Rahul Da Cunha

Nikasha, designer

I would like to tell my pet — Thank God for being you and not a human! Pets are the biggest blessings to us, especially dogs, who teach us the true meaning of unconditional love!

Alphabear


Alphabear is a game where you have to form words from the letters on your screen. Each letter tile is worth some points and comes with a countdown timer.Every new puzzle starts off with a few letters that surround an animated bear.The moment you use a letter, the bear grows to fill up the space freed by the alphabet, and new bears also appear.
You have to form as many words as you can to make your bears grow as large as possible. The tiles' value reduces along with its counter, and when its timer reaches zero, it turns to stone, blocking the growth of your bears. When you fulfil game missions you earn coins and a `special' bear ­ you have to collect 85 of these ­ that come with their own boosts for points and time. Alphabear's design looks cute, but its gameplay requires patience and strategy.Android, iOS | Free, Kindle Fire | $0.99

Sony Xperia Z3+ – Rs 41,700

Launched at Rs 55,990 in June this year, Sony Xperia Z3+ can now be purchased for Rs 41,700 from Indiatimes Shopping.

Sony Xperia Z3+ has a 5.2-inch Full HD screen and a glass-and-metal body; the glass used in the smartphone is shatter-proof, according to the company, while the whole body is water- and dust-resistant. Powered by Android 5.0 (Lollipop), the handset packs the octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM under the hood.

Xperia Z3+ has 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and supports microSD cards of up to 128GB capacities. On the back of the smartphone is a 20.7MP rear camera with LED flash, whereas the front camera has 5.1MP sensor. The smartphone has a 2,930mAh battery and comes in green, black, copper, and white colours.

Inkboard 

Inkboard is an app that lets you sketch, jot down notes and doodle over photos.You can start with a blank canvas and use it as a scratch pad. Alternatively, you can import pictures and use Inkboard's drawing tools to `improvise' on your photo.You get a basic set of tools, which consists of two erasers, crayons, pencils, ball pens, highlighters and markers. Undo-redo buttons let you correct mistakes, while pinch-to-zoom lets you work on detail. You can share your works of art directly on your social network accounts. Inkboard also integrates into your OS, so you can access its keyboard from within apps like Facebook, Twitter or Gmail thus letting you send scribbles instead of typed messages.To do this, enable the “Inkboard keyboard“ in the app, then choose this input mode while in your messaging app to `draw' your message.

Android, iOS | Free

Roll the Ball: Slide Puzzle


Roll The Ball is a slider jigsaw puzzle game where you are presented with a 4x4 `wooden' grid. Some of the pieces in the grid have a channel running through them. These channels can be horizontal, vertical or curving. The aim of the game is to slide the pieces in the grid to create a path with the channels so that the ball in the grid can `roll' from its starting point ­ unhindered ­ till it reaches the end `goal'.

In each puzzle, certain pieces are fixed and this makes gameplay more challenging. RTB comprises six game packs ­ beginner, talented, medium, skilled, hard and moving ­ each consisting of 180 puzzles that get tougher as you progress. The game's graphics sport a nice metal and wooden finish, along with a realistic clicking sound that accompanies the shifting of the panels. RTB's simple gameplay, but extremely challenging puzzles will keep you hooked for hours.

Android, iOS | Free