Pawsome supplies, all under one roof

Maithreye Murali, the woman behind this concept store, speaks about what inspired the idea, what makes her brand different from others, and of course, the story behind its unique name. 

Having been a pet owner ever since she can remember, Maithreye says she always wanted to do something for her little fourlegged friends. “I grew up around cats, dogs and cows. My grandmother had cows. So, my sister and I literally grew up with animals who were like our siblings,” begins Maithreye. 

“However, if there’s one thing that bothered me was the lack of clothes, accessories and furniture for pets, here in Chennai. For that matter, even up north. I remember how as kids my sister and I would always ask for gifts for our pets whenever a cousin or friend would travel abroad. So, it’s this gap that I wanted to fill,” says Maithreye, who formed Monkey Eating Pineapple after a fouryear stint in advertising and marketing. What is also perhaps the city’s first online store of its kind, Maithreye’s brand has funky bow ties, printed bandanas, bowls and quirky beds for cats and dogs in different sizes. 

“There may be other stores in the country that have the same concept, what makes our brand different is that all products are completely designed by me and created in the country. Also, we have products with ethnic prints that could be perfect for your pets when you take them to weddings and other traditional events,” says Maithreye, who also plans to introduce pet food. “But it will take some time as it requires a lot of research and experimentation, considering some pets, especially dogs are very sensitive and can have allergic reactions to new food,” she adds. Last, but certainly not the least, we can’t help but ask about the intriguing name. “Once, on a road trip, I saw this small monkey eating a piece of pineapple that was twice the size of its face. It was so cute that I forgot to even photograph the moment. It stuck with me and when I was thinking of names for my brand, I decided to go ahead with this. While my team was sceptical about it and wanted to go for something that conveyed the concept of the store, at the end of the day, it’s the name that’s drawing people to the site,” she says, adding that she hopes it will bring pet owners in the city together. “I hope to create a stronger community through this initiative and eventually also come up with my pet cafe soon,” she concludes.