From sunglasses for dogs to bottled air, these businesses are making a fortune in rather unusual ways.

The English monks who make Buckfast tonic wine are enjoying record sales of their controversial beverage. A powerful concoction of 15% fortified wine and caffeine that is intended to be consumed in strict moderation, the infamous fortified beverage is the drink of choice for Scotland's trouble-making 'neds' and has been linked to thousands of violent crimes.

The Sisters of the Valley are a group of self-styled nuns who grow organic medical marijuana in Merced, California – yes, really. The nuns, who aren't affiliated with the Catholic or any other established church, produce a range of CBD oil and salves.

Herds for Hire is an Australian firm that rents out goats to rid gardens of weeds and other out of control vegetation. The service is more eco-friendly than a lawnmower and negates the need for toxic weedkillers.

During Boston's record snowy winter in 2015, husband and wife team Kyle and Jess Waring set up a business shipping fresh snow and 'snowmen in boxes' to people deprived of the white stuff. Launched as a joke, the business has since become a resounding success, turning over thousands of dollars.

Building on the success of their snow-selling business, Kyle and Jess Waring established a leaf-selling enterprise last fall, mailing out hand-collected preserved New England leaves to buyers worldwide. To date, Ship Foliage has sold over 1,800 leaves.

Like Ship Snow, Yo, Vitality Air was started as a joke. The Canadian company sells bottled air from the Rocky Mountains for $17 (£14) per canister. The canisters sell particularly well in China, and demands spikes when air quality worsens in polluted cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

Mr Opperman may well have been tempted to send his ex-fiancée a bouquet of decomposing blooms from Dirty Rotten Flowers. The perfect breakup revenge gift, the company charges $33 (£27) per bouquet of decaying flowers.

Launched in 2008, Dallas' Anger Room provides stressed-out clients with a room filled with furniture, TVs and all sorts of other stuff they can smash up to their heart's content. Each trashable room simulates an actual workplace, kitchen or living room for added authenticity.

Passing the time when you're waiting for your washing without dying of boredom can be a challenge. Cue Soapano's Coin Launderette in Collingwood, Australia. The laundromat plays Sopranos episodes back to back and offers customers free massage chair sessions.

Cat cafés are all the rage right now, and in the last few years dozens have opened around the world, such as Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium in London (pictured). Moggy-loving customers get to drink tea and nibble their cakes surrounded by cute felines.

The new online framing service with a difference. Not only do the Pict team frame your photo, they also imbue the frame with a suitable scent to trigger memories associated with the snap. Fragrances range from cut grass and baby powder, to Play-Doh and sea air.

Samantha Hess runs this platonic companionship agency in Portland, Oregon and along with her three employees, she does a roaring trade cuddling up to lonesome people. Offering instant TLC, an hour-long snuggle session costs from $80 (£61).

Poorly dolls that have seen better days are tended back to health and restored to their former glory at the Doll Hospital on the outskirts of St Louis, Missouri. The hospital is considered one of the finest doll restoring organizations in the US.

Taking the upcycling trend to the extreme, Fallen Furniture is a British company that turns airplane scrap into desirable pieces of furniture. Standout models include chairs made from Boeing 737 engines and emergency exit doors repurposed as coffee tables.

Equine soft tissue therapist Christian Langeder heads a company in Australia that is dedicated to providing horses with expert massage therapy. The highly regarded firm has worked with many of Australia's leading horse owners.

If you're one of those people who loathes opening birthday cards filled with glitter that goes absolutely everywhere, this one's for you. Ship Your Enemies Glitter, which was started as a joke company, does just that – a great way to prank your pals or get back at somebody you don't like.

The Karosta Prison hotel in Latvia offers guests the full Soviet-era prison experience. From just $20 (£16) a night, patrons sleep in a iron-barred cell and are subjected to regular death threats, the sound of gunfire in the yard and harsh punishments such as cleaning the jail's toilets.

Treating people with similar disdain, US chain Dick's Last Resort purposefully hires the rudest, most obnoxious wait and bar staff imaginable. Customers actually flock to this eatery so they can be verbally abused by the workforce, who get a kick out of placing large paper dunce caps on their patrons' heads.

A unique sensory experience, Dans Le Noir is a restaurant in Paris where blindfolded diners eat and drink in pitch black darkness, served all the while by visually impaired wait staff. A huge success, the restaurant has opened offshoots in several cities around the world.

This carpentry company was founded by three friends with zero skill and horrendous taste. They make intentionally ugly, poorly made furniture and sell it for overinflated prices – what's not to like?

This LA-based company can supply clients with a crowd of people at a moment's notice, faking anything from flash mobs to screaming fans. PR firms looking to create buzz surrounding a product, celebrity or service are the company's biggest clients.

This booming online jewelry auction platform for spurned lovers was launched in 2007 by Joshua Opperman, who had been jilted by his fiancée and unable to get a decent price for the unwanted engagement ring. Now a very wealthy man, it's safe to say Opperman has had the last laugh.

This Colorado-based business offers a super-valuable service. Charging $20 (£16) a roommate, the firm will send over a team of hangover helpers to clean your apartment the morning after a big party. The helpers also provide each hungover customer with Gatorade and a breakfast burrito.

If Dallas residents come down with a bad case of nits, they can call upon the services of the Texas Lice Squad who will send a nurse to their home address to pick the lice from their hair. With people increasingly shunning chemical shampoo treatments, the business is flourishing.

Potato Parcel is the brainchild of pro app developer Alex Craig from North Texas who launched the company half-jokingly. The firm, which can stamp the message of your choice on a spud, is turning over thousands of dollars a month.

Artisans at this ethical fur company based in Massachusetts work with 'accidental fur' recovered from highways in the state to produce a range of apparel. Items on sale include pom pom hats, neck wraps and leg warmers.

If the nostril hairs of somebody you know are getting out of hand, you can turn to a service called Chololi to save the day. The cheeky company from Japan will send the hirsute person a gentle reminder to trim or pluck the hairs.

As you might have guessed from the not too subtle name, New Hampshire's Turd Herders specialize in removing pet poop from squeamish owners' backyards. The Derry-based firm charges from just $12 (£10) a week for the service.

These sunglasses for pooches were invented in 1997 by Roni Di Lullo, who wanted a pair of shades for her squinting dog. The Californian native launched the sunnies soon after, and her company now rakes in over $3 million (£2.4m) a year.