Posted by L.G.
My cat climbed into a bottom drawer of my dresser and disappeared. I got tired of looking for her and went on with my day. An hour or so later I opened a small top drawer of the dresser and here’s what I see:
Pets
3 Fun Cat Gifts that Your Kitty Will Absolutely LOVE
Looking for a fun present to give your kitty on her birthday or during the holidays? Here are 3 fun cat gifts that your pet will absolutely love.
Sunny Seat Window-Mounted Cat Bed
Does your kitty love to spend time in the window, sun bathing? A Window Mounted Cat Bed will quickly become his favorite place. It suctions to the window and keeps him suspended above the window sill. You know how much cats love to be in high vantage points — if you have multiple cats, get one for each window.
K&H Pet Bed Warmer
Cats love to be warm and comfortable just as much as we do — that’s why they love to snuggle up next to you so much. If you add an indoor Pet Bed Warmer to your cat’s bed, you’ll probably find that he spends more time there than tangled up in your covers! Just plug it into a standard outlet, and it will warm up to about 102 degree (a cat’s ideal temperature).
SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy
Cats are natural hunters, which is why they are obsessed with toys that move on their own. The Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy is a fun mechanical toy that operates on a couple of batteries. A little “tail” randomly moves in either direction, mimicking that of a smaller animal and giving your kitty hours of fun. Four speeds available.
Are You Tired Of Scooping Cat Litter Like Me?
I have been a cat owner for more than three decades. There is just one annoying chore that I really hate, scooping cat litter! Don’t get me wrong, I really love my cats. At the same time, I have a difficult time getting motivated to clean out their litter boxes. I hate the smell and don’t like to dispose of their waste. It has been like having a part time job taking care of the litter box. So, I decided to look on Amazon to hopefully find a solution. Here’s what I found:
A Self Cleaning Litter Box with Good Ratings
The first, was a Scoop Free Ultra Self Cleaning Litter Box made a company called Pet Safe. Their basic unit costs about $125. The description says that you can go weeks without cleaning the litter box. Wouldn’t that be a little slice of heaven! It was designed by a person educated at MIT, so I guess you can call it a “smart litter box?” The only downside of this unit is that you have to keep buying their special blue litter granules, which I’m not sure my cats would like.
Another Self-Cleaning Box that Pushes the Litter to the Back
The second product that I researched is called the Litter Maid Automatic Self Cleaning Classic Litter Box. It costs under $100 and doesn’t require you to buy special litter. This brand offers litter boxes that can be used by multiple cats for less than the cost of purchasing two of their litter boxes. One issue that some people mention is that some cats may get nervous about the noise these machines make. Also, waste can get caught in the grates. I do like that there’s a pad to catch excess litter as the cat walks out of the box.
The Cat Genie
The next litter box that I researched was called the Cat Genie. It is a self-washing and self-flushing cat box. This option seems to be the “sophisticated” choice in self-cleaning litter boxes. Your cat basically looks like he’s going on a toilet, then it flushes for him.
It includes washable granules so you never have to buy or touch cat litter again. Now that might make it well worth the $200 price tag, but it has some pretty questionable reviews. It requires a rigid water line (in a bathroom, utility closet or laundry room) and a wrench or pliers (but I would suggest you get someone who really understands this type of hookup to avoid issues). It sounds like an interesting concept, but I don’t think I want to go that far to avoid scooping cat litter!
The Rolling Litter Box
This is the litter box I ultimately settled on, and I like it! It’s called the Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box, otherwise known as a “rolling” litter box. Instead of scooping the litter, you roll the box to the side and the waste is deposited into a handy little scooping tray. The price is great for around $25 and it works reasonably well. It requires a little elbow grease, so I probably wouldn’t recommend it for an elderly person with mobility challenges, but it’s great for someone who’s reasonably athletic and able to lean down for a few moments to roll the box.
The Sifting Litter Box
I actually bought this litter box a while back, and it worked reasonably well. It’s the Van Ness Sifting Enclosed Cat Litter Pan. The only issue was that waste sometimes got stuck in the sifting pan. Basically, you place the sifting pan inside of the enclosed box, then add litter. When you’re ready to clean the litter box, lift the sifting pan and shake it thoroughly, then toss out the hardened matter. It helps to put a liner at the bottom of the enclosed box, then add the sifting pan, then add the litter. It’s a large box and can accommodate multiple cats. It’s also very affordable (I found it here for under $15, the price may change) and it gets pretty good reviews. Looking it this sifting litter box again (especially at that price) I think I should go ahead and get one again as a second option!
I highly recommend that all cat owners/lovers who are tired of scooping cat litter check out all of the modern litter box options that are now available on the market. Anything is great that can make our lives easier as pet owners, right? Buying a good litter box could save a lot of time and unnecessary stress on our bodies.
Posted by Jade
Tips for How to Deal with Finicky Cats
Over the years, I have had the pleasure of loving a few finicky cats in my home. Each cat had their own unique personality. I, of course, had to adjust to meet their individual criteria. Here are a couple of frustrating issues that I had to contend with and how I solved them.
Don’t Litter Where You Eat…
My first cat, Colors, was so picky at eating her food! I soon realized that it was because I had placed her food too close to her litter box. Duh, who likes to eat their food near where they relieve themselves? I know I don’t. So I made sure that her food was in a totally different room than her litter. That immediately solved that issue.
Clumping Litter Saves the Day…
My next cat, Millie, would urinate and defecate right outside of her litter box, on a daily basis. I was becoming very frustrated. I did not know what was causing this to happen. I first tried cleaning the litter box before I went to work. That didn’t help at all. I then decided to change the litter brand from non-clumping to clumping. I even began to clean her litter box twice a day, before work and before I went to bed. From the first day I began this new routine her bad habit had been broken.
Sleep in Your Own Bed Please!
My other cat, Lucky, would never sleep in his cat bed. I would always awake to him sleeping in my bed. I decided that my scent must be bringing him comfort. So, I decided to put an old t-shirt of mine in his cat bed to see if that helped. Wow, it sure did! From there on he slept in his cat bed.
I guess what I am saying here is to be patient with your animal and use common sense when your animal has odd or strange behaviors. They will let you know what you are doing wrong, the best way that they can. It’s up to you to listen and pay attention!
Posted by Eve
How to Help Keep Stray Cats Warm in the Winter
During the harsh winter months you are probably going to become concerned about how to help keep stray cats warm. This is especially true for people who care for and love animals. Cats are designed by nature to survive outside successfully, even in very cold temperatures, but they still need our help from time to time — even more so during the winter. Here are a couple of tips to help you make a warm outdoor shelter that helps them survive the brutal winter.
Shelter and Outdoor Heating Pad (Low Wattage)
First, if you already have a outdoor shelter or igloo, you can simply add a pet safe outdoor heated pad. The heating pad has a chew resistance cord. I have purchased two of these for this season (the one picture below was on sale, now it’s about $40 for the medium). The current prices for these pads (most of them are made by K&H range from about $35.00 and up — the pads only use about the same amount of energy as a low watt light bulb. Keep in mind that the heating pad needs to be specifically designed for outdoor use.
Secondly, if you do not have an outdoor shelter for the stray cats, you can easily make one. I found a simple way to make a shelter by using a cooler on the Internet. All that was required, was to, with a jig saw cut two holes on either side of the cooler. The hole should be approximately twice the size of their head. It’s extremely important to cut two holes! It allows the cats to be able to escape any dangerous predators.
When the shelter is completed, put the heating pad inside the cooler with the top on. If you want to get fancier, you can make a full-fledged wooden, insulated cat house like the one the Charlotte @HandyGirlz built for a client (see pic).
Make sure that you keep the cat shelter elevated off of the ground on a table so that the snow and rain won’t bother the shelter.
Feed Them a Little More
Cats have to eat more in the winter to have enough energy to stay active during the cold months. So if you feed stray or feral cats in your area one tip to help keep them warm is to give them just a bit more food each time.
TNR
One more point — continue your TNR (Trap Neuter Return) efforts during the winter to ensure that the population in your area stays under control. See this post for more information about that.
Pet Lovers Rock!!!!! Thanks for helping to keep stray cats warm in the winter 🙂
Posted by Eve
Tips for How to Groom a Cat
Cats pretty much groom themselves, but there are some ways that you can help your kitty get clean if needed.
Wash Him
The first step to groom a cat, especially if he is new, is to give him a bath. There is much debate over whether cats ever need baths at all. In my opinion, they need baths once in a blue moon. Bring him into the bathroom and lock the door. Your cat will probably start to look at you out of the corner of his eyes at this point, so you’ve got to act quickly. Put a bottle of cat shampoo on the tub and turn on the water. Put kitty in the tub and slowly wet him with your shower nozzle. If he doesn’t like it, just put a little bowl of water next to him in the tub and cup water over him. Soap him up, rinse him off, and then wrap him up in a snuggly warm towel (they love this part).
Luckily, cat’s don’t need baths as often as dogs do, because they self-groom, but from time to time for whatever reason your cat may start to smell a little too much like the litter box. So in this case, before you continue to groom your cat, wash him up.
Comb Him
There are several cat combs on the market that are perfect for grooming your cat, like the FURminator comb (very good for getting out excess hair). Grab a plastic bag to hold the hair that you will pull from his coat. Pull the comb with the grain of your cat’s coat. Cat’s don’t always like it when you go against the grain, because the comb pulls at the hairs too roughly. Spend at least five to ten minutes grooming your cat with the comb, pulling out the clumps of hair. Then use your fingers to pull off the excess strands.
Brush Him to Help Make His Coat Shiny
Once you finish combing your cat, go over him a few times with a cat brush. This will help to smooth his coat to a beautiful shine. Use a soft bristled brush for cats for this purpose.
Sometimes when you groom a cat, you’ll notice that he has matted down hair. In this case, buy a hard bristled cat brush and use it to before the cat comb.
Posted by Jade