cats Archives - Pea of Sweetness

Making Your Home Kitten Proof

July 25, 2015 by Emilee Evans

A couple weeks ago we got a new kitten. Our daughter was particularly thrilled because she has been wanting a kitten for a while. Since we’re finally a little more settled, we thought it would be a good time. Lily (the name our daughter gave her) is a sweet little kitten, but like most kittens, she’s very curious and into everything.

So how do you make your home kitten proof? Here are a few tips that helped us.

Make the Litter Box Location Known

Depending on where you got your kitten, they may not be familiar with the litter box. Even if they are, they need to know exactly where it is or they may use the nearest blanket, pile of clothes, etc.

Kitten Toys

When I say kitten toys, I don’t even mean you have to buy those fancy toys at the store. Kittens are pretty happy to play with anything – strings, boxes, tape, other pets, kids, etc., but make sure there are plenty of those things to play with so they turn to things like the furniture.

Close Up Unsafe Areas

We used to have the litter box in our half basement, but it’s just not a safe area for a kitten. Our other cat would just go downstairs, use the litter box and come back up. A kitten is more likely to look around and maybe get into things she shouldn’t. Plus, with all the rain, the basement is damp and mucky – not a good place for a kitten to play!
We also found we needed to block the opening in the stairway that is quite a steep drop. She curiously was sticking her head out of it, and we feared she would fall down, so we simply blocked it so there is no longer a danger. Also be sure to check for little holes and spaces where a kitten might fit. Our other cat is rather large, so we had to reevaluate because our kitten is much, much smaller.

Tie up Loose Wires

Loose wires are very attracted to wires. This can be dangerous for many reasons. They could chew through one or end up pulling down the appliance to which it’s attached! Wires can be tucked behind furniture, grouped together with zip ties, taped or stapled to walls – whatever works for your home and space.

Proper Introductions

If you have other pets, be sure to give them a proper introduction. We have a dog and cat and used the open barrier method where they could sniff each other with a barrier in between. Introductions went well, so we knew we could remove the barrier and let her explore her new home!

We are so excited and blessed to welcome Lily to our home and so grateful the transition has been smooth. What have you done to prepare your home for a new pet?

Cat's Pride Fresh and Light Litter {Review}

September 11, 2013 by Emilee Evans

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cat’s Pride. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating. All opinions are my own. For more information see my Disclosure Policy.

Our cat, Bartholomew, is a special part of our family. It’s been a little over a year since we adopted him. They were afraid he wouldn’t get adopted since he was born with only one eye. That didn’t matter to us at all, though! He has an amazing personality, and we just knew he would be the perfect cat for our family! We mostly call him Bart for short.
Bart turned one on Christmas Eve. He is still young and energetic, but he grew big so quickly! We joke that it’s because he eats our dog’s large breed dog food! He really has such a great personality and is wonderful with the kids and our mastiff! He has so many fun quirks and plays back and forth chasing games with our daughter. It’s so much fun!
With the joy of a cat also comes the not-so-joyful litter box. Unfortunately, we’ve had many litter box problems, too – particularly with the odor. It’s not only unpleasant for us, but I imagine it’s not very nice for him, either. We want to make sure he is happy as well! I have found a helpful solution to add to the litter, but overall I decided we need a completely new litter solution. The expense of the litter that we HAVE to get for the self-cleaning litter box coupled with the fact that it just isn’t an effective litter has just gotten too frustrating. So, I was excited to have the chance to try Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light litter.

For our review we received two 15-pound containers of Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light Litter. We received Fragrance Free Odor Control and the Quick Action litter. Being an eco-conscious consumer I generally err on the side of caution when it comes to fragrance. This definitely is the case with our pets as well. They are part of our family, and our eco-friendly lifestyle most definitely applies to them as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Quick Action litter that is scented carries the seal of the American Humane Association. It states Cat’s Pride products offer safe and effective odor control without harmful chemicals or overpowering fragrances. It also means they do so without the use of captive live animal testing. That is something to be proud of!
I can contest that the Quick Action litter did NOT have an overpowering scent. In fact, it was a very light almost unnoticeable (but pleasant) scent. Although we did enjoy the Fragrance Free Odor Control as well, this subtle scent of the Quick Action litter won me over as being my favorite. Bart was happy either way. He much preferred the light texture of Cat’s Pride over the rough crystals we have been using.

Here are some additional Cat’s Pride fact:

Cat’s Pride is 25% lighter than other scoopable clay litters.
I found this to be true! For the size of container I definitely expected they would be heavier. Growing up with cats I have used many varieties of scoopable clay litters, and containers that large were definitely heavier. I loved how the texture of the litter was “lighter” as well.
Cat’s Pride is low-dust.
One of the things that I always disliked about clay litters was the dust. When it said “low-dust” I wasn’t sure what to expect. What is considered a normal dust level? I discovered it barely had any dust at all. In fact, I didn’t notice any!
Cat’s Pride is quick clumping.
The litter box is in our laundry room, so I don’t generally have a habit of checking in right away, but I was curious about this “quick clumping.” I have to admit I don’t know what the typical clumping time is, but I did notice it clumps right away, and it clumps well. I didn’t have problems when I would clean it out, which is always good because it’s mostly unpleasant to clean the litter box, so every little thing helps!
Cat’s Pride is the only litter recommended by the American Humane Association.
I already mentioned they are recommended by the American Humane Association, but the fact is they are the ONLY litter that is recommended by them.
Overall, we’re happy with Cat’s Pride, and Bart definitely seems happier as well! Although it’s unfortunate we can’t use it with the self-cleaning litter box I would much rather have a happier cat and less odor! Plus, with the the nice features of Cat’s Pride it really isn’t that bad to have to clean the litter box!

For More Information:

Visit the Cat’s Pride Website
Connect with Cat’s Pride on Facebook and Twitter

Litter Getter All Natural Attractant with Odor Control

July 19, 2013 by Emilee Evans

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Have you ever had a problem with your cat going where he shouldn’t go? Or do you have a new kitten that needs encouragement to start using the litter box? Litter Getter is an all natural litter box attractant with odor control that clumps with standard clumping litters. Because it is all natural it is also safe to use and gentle on sensitive paws. Litter Getter attracts cats and kittens back to the litter box while also naturally reducing the ammonia smell.

We ran into a litter problem here in our house. We have a self-cleaning litter box. We hate it. We only have one cat, but we have to clean it almost every 2 weeks in order for it to stay fresh. Because you can only buy the specific litter trays that was costing almost $40/month! $40/month on litter! Outrageous! So I had to start cleaning out the self-cleaning litter box in order to make the litter (and our dollars) last longer. The problem was, the litter itself is still terrible for odor control. The ammonia smell really gets overwhelming quickly! We weren’t the only ones that were feeling overwhelmed – so was our poor Bartholomew.
Bart is a really awesome cat and is really easy going. He is always great about using the litter box. I had cats growing up that would do things like use the floor next to the litter box, use our laundry basket, etc., so what a relief to have a cat that actually uses the litter box consistently! Well, even an awesome cat can get overwhelmed by horrible odor control, and my husband made the unfortunate discovery that he had used the bathroom toy box to urinate! Eek!
So we needed another solution! We needed something that would both encourage him to love his litter box again as well as control the odor issue, so I was definitely eager to try Litter Getter. I love that Litter Getter has a really natural scent. It really does smell like being outdoors. Although it notes to work particularly with clumping litters it has worked fine in the crystal litter that must be used with the litter box we own. What a difference it has made! I am no longer bombarded with ammonia smell when I do laundry as the litter box is located in the laundry room. Plus, Bart seems to be happy using the litter box again and has no outside incidents since using Litter Getter! Did I mention I LOVE the natural earthy smell?
We are very happy with Litter Getter, and I’m so glad we found an all natural solution to our litter box issues!

For More Information:

Visit the Litter Getter website
Follow Litter Getter on Twitter