Cat Reviews

Resembling a huge prehistoric beetle in its sleek design, CityKitty Ionic Cat Litter Box Air Purifier, is a small unit performing a large job.  Undertaking the much-needed task of ridding your home of unpleasant odors, and cleansing the area around the litter box of harmful bacteria caught in the air, this unit is an invaluable asset to any pet owner.  Once I plugged the unit in and set it on the floor, my two kittens became consumed with curiosity about this new marvel.  Were it not for the Velcro tabs that mount the unit securely in place, I am sure that Taz, the more inquisitive of the pair, would have pulled it off into the corner to investigate it, in her own thoroughly charming kitten way.    The Ionic Air Purifier, is carefully designed; effective when  set outside the litter pan or on the floor, or shelf, it continues to work, moving its ionic breeze around the room, ridding it of pet dander, airborne particles and other hidden irritants.  Electronically powered ions and ozone circulate into the air, aiding any pet or human who might be afflicted with allergies or breathing problems, by remarkably removing any clay dust or other irritants from the area.   This is one of its most efficient features how the ions work to create a heaviness in the clay dust, keeping the clay dust down, so your cat does not inhale unhealthful bacteria, and other harmful disease-causing agents. Perhaps this explanation will help to further illustrate this. Your television screen attracts dust; due to the high voltage of the picture tube charging the dust particles and making them act like a magnet. Well in the same way, the clay dust in your litter carries a positive charge, so the ions are attracted to this dust. As the ions saturate the air they circulate and follow a path that lands them in the billions on the clay litter causing it to become weighted down. Even when your cat disturbs this union, by scratching and pawing to cover up his waste, the two charged particles stay together and keep the dust heavy, and out of the cat’s lungs. This can go a long way in preventing upper respiratory infections that plague many household pets, and substantially lower your vet bills! If you or your children are afflicted with asthma or allergies, this unit will bring relief, for it has been proven to be a beneficial health product!  My cat room houses several litter boxes, and after plugging in the unit, the difference in the air quality a few hours later was phenomenal! Even right after the litter pan was utilized, there was no disagreeable odor lingering in the air.  I also noticed an absence of dust that I can usually see that settles on the bookcase near the litter pan area.   If you happen to be fighting a mold problem, this unit will help you attack the mold and mildew; so multiple units are a benefit to any home. The unit is reasonably priced, and so compact, that it is easy to tuck it away out of sight while helping to keep your home smelling fresh and clean. Gone are the multiple cans of harmful air fresheners and sprays, and no more burning scented candles to mask the smell. For homes that are blessed with more than one cat, the cat loving owners will no longer be cursed with that one irritating question asked by guests as soon as they step through the front door:   “How many cats did you say you had again?”   http://www.citypet.com/

Beautifully laid-out in brilliant design, The Well-Lettered Cat is the type of book that as you read it, you sit on the edge of amazement. The clever use of fonts, patterns, colors and photographs not to mention the text, prompts the reader to continue turning the pages to the end.

            A sophisticated look into the unique characters of cats, this is an alphabetical journey unlike any other I have encountered.

In The Well-Lettered Cat,  “A” does not stand for achromatic, or ambiguous. In The Well-Lettered Cat “A” stands for acceptable, acute and addicting!

            Refined feline-fanciers and wordsmiths will rejoice and luxuriate in the literary style, while being thankful they are well-versed and well-read. Others may find themselves scrambling for their copy of the American Heritage Dictionary, all the time wondering,  “What in the world does animus mean?”.

My suggestion would be for the reader to have close at-hand a dictionary. This could prove to be helpful as your compass and guide to assist you through the journey.

I found the concept of  The Well-Lettered Cat fascinating and the content humbling. I was grateful for my own unabridged dictionary that I admit, I ended up using more than once!

With winter fast approaching, your feline floor squatter deserves a place to warm her toes.  K& H Manufacturing offers several varieties of heated cat beds, mats and bed warmers. For cats that have a hard time with movement, either from arthritis, past trauma or other health issues, you can allow them to stay on the floor and make it comforting, warm and inviting at a very inexpensive price. 

For Guinevere, a cat whose movement is hampered by past abuse, the Thermo Kitty Mat offered her the comfort she needed to get her off the wooden floor in the bedroom. The Thermo kitty mat placed on top of a lounge cushion became her place of choice as the weather turns colder. Offering relief to her weary bones, she climbs onto the cushion and reclines on the Thermo Kitty Mat for the majority of the time.  

With a dual thermostat and a removable heater, the Thermo Mat provides a perfect place for her to rest.The plug tucks conveniently out of the way removing the temptation that dangling electrical cords sometimes present to curious kitties. Unlike some heated cat beds, the Thermo Kitty Mat draws a low enough current (only 4 watts) to allow the plug to stay cool to the touch, even after being plugged in for weeks at a time.  

The Thermo Kitty Mat is a 12.5” x 25” flat mat covered by faux lambskin cover. The cover is removable and machine washable. The mat is designed to not draw heat until a heat source touches it. So when Guinevere moves off the pad, the pad will slowly cool down until she returns.  

Although recommended for indoor use only, K & H Manufacturing also offers heated outdoor beds for cats and dogs, thermal pads that fit inside kennels, carriers and Igloo dog houses.  

With so much satisfaction being shown by this grateful indoor cat, I will soon be purchasing their outdoor kitty beds, for my two barn cats who don’t wish to become house cats but would rather spend the winter either in the barn or on the back porch. 

You can purchase these mats through several online retailers: Pet Smart, Drs. Foster & Smith or Pet Street Mall.

When it comes to helping cat and dog owners, Traci (last name held by request) is willing and able to offer assistance where she can.  Traci has worked in the veterinary field for over ten years. Working from the same clinic under the title of Emergency Vet Technician, she has seen it all. Her clinic is fast-paced and as she says, “boredom is rarely a luxury there.”   

With the onset of the Internet, Traci began to notice a lot of misinformation being passed around on dog and cat message boards. Alarmed at the content of some of the posts she read, she decided to do something positive about this problem, and so in 1999 she started Cat Health Online. She was taught the basics of HTML by a friend, and learned the rest purely by trial and error, but over the months the board began to take shape and people started to join. 

At first, the board consumed most of her time as she put up an impressive array of accurate cat health information in a mini reference section. Everything from nutrition to kitten care can be found there, and since emergency veterinary care is her specialty, she placed a handy Emergency Reference guide on her site as well.   Developing a no-nonsense approach to answering posts, her board quickly gained a foothold with cat rescuers and other cat care specialists, as well as cat owners themselves. Several members have been with her from the beginning and along with her they continue to add to the substantial knowledge base that has grown there. She spends about two hours a day on her board answering questions, and her extensive knowledge of veterinary medicine is evident when you read her replies.

I asked her once why she hadn’t gone on to be a vet, and she laughed and said that in her position she has the best of both worlds. She works with a wonderful team of veterinarians, and in her duties as a vet tech; she gets the hands-on experience of taking care of each animal that arrives. Giving medications, doing treatments, monitoring the in-house patients and dealing with the emergency cases, all serve to keep her motivated to learn and helps to expand her knowledge base, for each situation she encounters at the clinic is unique. And after work is over and she comes home, if she can help someone on the internet who is struggling to understand lab results, or give them added

information to ask their vet so that an

informed decision can be reached and ultimately help a cat or dog, than her role is clear. For Traci, the animals come first and all pets are the priority.  http://www.cathelp-online.com/phpBB2/ 

Recently, I was asked to review a new type of cat food. One created specifically for young kittens aged 1-4 months. I couldn’t help but think about all the participants I have here at home, rescued from tumultuous beginnings, and more than willing to become test subjects for Royal Canin’s new BabyCat 34.

As an experienced cat rescuer and caretaker, I am well aware of the importance of good quality food, especially during the early months for fragile and sometimes compromised kitties. While I waited for the shipment to arrive, I did my own research on Royal Canin and I was impressed with what I discovered.

Royal Canin works closely with leading veterinarian colleges and universities throughout the United States and Europe. In state-of-the-art research labs, they develop foods specifically adapted to your cat’s needs. Along with veterinarians, and breeders, their employees work hard to develop foods which help you maintain the high-quality of standards that each cat deserves, in whatever growing stage they happen to be in.

The day finally arrived and I received the bag of BabyCat 34. As I stood there, looking hesitantly at the new bag, while the kittens milled about my ankles. I could just see it in their faces. They were all hoping that this bag, like its predecessors before it, would, when I tried to open it bare handed, explode it’s contents all over the room while they gave merry chase. McGilly Kitty had already dashed under the bed, as if she knew this would be the place for all the kibble to land and she could feast to her heart’s content before her siblings finally drove her away from the tasty treats.However; the kittens were disappointed, and I was delighted. The bag gave way easily to my one gentle tug and the kibble was poured into the waiting bowls.

McGilly came slowly out from under the bed. The runt of the litter, and the smallest of the crew, she always had trouble managing the standard-size kibble in her tiny mouth. But, as she got to her feeding bowl, she discovered that BabyCat 34 is comprised of smaller, tiny kibble to accommodate small mouths and baby teeth. She plunged right in and it was evident to me that she was enjoying the fact that it was so easy for her to chew.I couldn’t tell her in words she could understand, but I can let you know Dear Reader, that Royal Canin has developed this food especially for kittens in their tiny frames. They add extra moisture to each morsel making it easier for the kitten to swallow, aiding in the digestion as well. With added essential fatty acids Omega 6 and 3, which helps to maintain a silky coat, improves circulation of the blood, aids in clotting, and helps support compromised immune systems.

BabyCat 34 contains all the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for growing kittens.I couldn’t tell McGilly that this chicken-based product had enough nutrients that would fortify her, so she would be able to grow up strong and stand up to her brothers and sisters assaults. That Royal Canin understands each cat is different in each stage of their lives, and so they take into account these differences and develop the right food for the right stages. I couldn’t tell her all that, but as I looked at her face as she finished off her dinner and mewed up at me for more. I could tell her and all my crew that I loved them by only feeding Royal Canin from now on.

I was that impressed. I am still impressed when a week later, the kitties were still in love with there new food and they appear to be thriving on it. Their coats are shinier; they have brighter eyes and are full of more energy just like kitties ought to be! Now, if I could only keep them off the drapes!