Check out The Cuddle Collab collection right now to heart your fave items before they hit shelves Sept. 21.
Get ready, Target fans — our most adorable design partnership to date, The Cuddle Collab, is set to launch on Sept. 21. From must-have pet and hooman matching accessories to modern cat condos and so much more, everything in the limited-edition collection of over 180 items was designed to bring joy and connection to pets and the people who love them. And even better: With items starting at $3 and most under $20, The Cuddle Collab also makes spoiling your furry friends extra-affordable, no begging required.
Building on Target’s rich history of design expertise, The Cuddle Collab was created through the eyes of six beloved pet influencers (also called “fur-fluencers”), infusing their stories, personalities, and favorite activities — from hiking adventures to playing with sneakers — into each product. We paw-tnered with therapy pups Ellie and Emma; modern cats Zelda, Titus and Brave; foodie dog Popeye; pup fashionistas Ghost and Wren; self-care loving Maple Cat; and dog and cat best friends Baloo and Pan. (Bonus: Each paw-tner gets their own uniquely themed capsule collection of products in the assortment).
Now that the cat’s out of the bag, we chatted with the paw-rents of some of the fur-fluencers to learn more about the pets’ roles in bringing The Cuddle Collab to life and what they’re most excited about with this collection. Check ’em out.
Ellie and Emma are two pups on a mission to spread smiles and make every day golden.
What’s the “paw-sitive” impact you hope this collaboration will have on Target guests and their furry friends?
Sometimes something as small as a smile can make a big difference. I witnessed this first-hand while deployed overseas as an Army helicopter pilot with a dog whose job was to spread joy. This experience inspired me to get Ellie to start our mission to Spread Smiles. Our hope with The Cuddle Collab and specifically our Spread Smiles items is that more people will go out of their way to be kind to others and perhaps consider training their dogs as therapy dogs, too.
Did Ellie and Emma have any ideas or inspiration that made it into the final collection?
The plush toys turned out better than I could’ve imagined and perfectly resemble Ellie and Emma. They have everything from a Spread Smiles shirt to hair sticking up on Ellie’s head, to Emma stretched out on her tummy with her eyes closed.
What’s your favorite part of working on this design partnership with Target and your pets?
We’ve been fortunate to have developed a digital audience and have done several in-person volunteer events, but this will be the first time that people from around the country will be able to have a physical item inspired by Ellie and Emma. We deeply appreciated being a part of the design process and were impressed with how receptive the Target team was to our feedback.
Popeye is a retro-loving foodie who appreciates bold patterns, sophisticated treats and dining al fresco at pet-friendly restaurants.
What’s the “paw-sitive” impact you hope this collaboration will have on Target guests and their furry friends?
We’re hoping The Cuddle Collab products and the faces of the pet “fur-fluencers” will bring joy to everyone who sees them. Target is already one of our happy places, so seeing animals and pets highlighted will make it an even brighter place.
Did Popeye have any ideas or inspiration that made it into the final collection?
As a foodie, Popeye helped inspire the adorable food toys, like the “bark-uterie” plush toy set, sushi rope and ice cream tennis balls. We also love the dog sweaters as Popeye loves wearing clothes. As a traveling pup, we also love the travel snacks and food kit.
What’s the “paw-sitive” impact you hope this collaboration will have on Target guests and their furry friends?
We’re so lucky that Popeye is part of this project! We don’t know anyone who doesn’t shop at Target, so we really hope people will recognize Popeye and be as excited for us. We also absolutely love the products (and the prices), so we cannot wait to share them, and hope others love them as well.
Titus, Zelda and Brave are three modern cats living their best nine lives with mischief and fresh style.
What is their “purr-sonal” favorite part of being fur-fluencers and working on this design partnership with Target?
Their favorite part of being “fur-fluencers” is the convenience — we imagine they see us, their parents, as their employees, and being famous in the spotlight helps them further their agenda of being waited on hand and foot. Of course, they also like the partnership with Target because it helps them spread the message that all pets should be spoiled like they are.
Did they have any ideas or inspiration that made it into the final collection?
Yes, they think the “trash wand” is the best product ever created! We hardly get breaks from having to wave it around for them, they love it so much.
What’s the “paw-sitive” impact you hope this collaboration will have on Target guests and their furry friends?
We hope that everyone finds their purrr-fect match and understands that we were made to co-exist and take care of one another. And with the help of Target, we have brought that to life in the form of products to help everyone bond, love and bring each other peace and happiness.
The Cuddle Collab lands in nearly 2,000 stores, Target.com and the Target app on Sept. 21. But you can check out the full collection and heart your fave items right now for an even easier shopping experience.
Speaking of easy, when the big day comes, remember you can always tap our industry-leading fulfillment services to get your items. That includes Drive Up and Order Pickup.
