Petsmart have teamed up with Edison Nation in the US to run the competition

It's a dog's life. Apparently millions of pets in the US are suffering from a lack of entertainment.

And pet parents are poised to spend billions on toys for their favourite felines, canines and other best friends of all shapes and sizes.

If you feel inspired to spice up a pet's life, this competition announcement from US company Petsmart and American inventing club Edison Nation should be of interest.

I've checked with the organizers who say entries from outside the US are welcome. 

Do you have a great idea for the next big PetSmart product? Edison Nation can help turn your ideas or patents into actual products sold by PetSmart and Pets.com.

Details on the PetSmart Live Product Search:

PetSmart is seeking ideas for interactive toys and products that will help keep house pets of all sizes entertained!

Did you know that there are 75 million dogs in the United States, of which 30 million get a stocking with their name on it each Christmas? It's true. In fact, Americans love their pets so much that they spent more than $40 billion last year on products for their pooches, 88 million cats, 16 million birds and millions of other small animals, fish and reptiles. But there's a category of pet products that could use some fresh new ideas.

PetSmart, the largest specialty retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets, has partnered with Edison Nation to find interactive toys and products that help keep house pets of all shapes and sizes entertained. Your favorite pair of shoes shouldn't be Rover's favorite chew-toy; and your sofa shouldn't be Baxter's first choice of attack when she's feeling frisky.

PetSmart is all about keeping pets happy and healthy, and about finding innovative new ways pets and pet parents can enjoy life together. In more than 1,000 U.S. and Canadian stores and on their Web site, PetSmart carries more than 13,000 unique and useful products... and there is room for yours, too.

When pets get bored they can become mischievous and destructive, which is bad for you and your belongings. But more importantly, boredom is also unhealthy for animals and can lead to:

Barking or other attention seeking behavior
Chewing, digging or scratching
Shorter life expectancy
Separation anxiety
Inappropriate elimination
Begging
Chasing
Weight gain
Biting
Aggression towards people or other animals

We are not looking for ordinary litter boxes, treats or leashes. We want to see products that improve the lives of pets and pet parents. For this Live Product Search, identify a problem you are experiencing that is likely shared by many pet owners, and provide a solution. The product may be geared toward dogs, cats, birds, fish or small animals like geckos, hamsters or ferrets. The solution must have features that benefit both the lives of the pet and the pet parent, and safety is always a must!

Click here to learn more about the PetSmart Live Product Search