litter box

Giveaway: Enter to Win a NVR Miss Litterbox

Giveaways| 123 Comments

high-sided-litter-box

The search for the perfect litter box can be frustrating for many cat guardians, especially those of us, like yours truly, who live with a vertical pee-er (her name starts with the letter “R”). My search ended when I discovered the NVR Miss™ Litter Box shown above at a cat show several years ago.

For details on why I love this box so much, please read my full review of the NVR Miss™ Litterbox. I haven’t found anything that’s as good as this box (other than ugly homemade versions), and I went through a lot of different boxes when Ruby first came to live with us.Continue Reading

Enter the Tidy Cats® Littervention Contest to Win A Two-Year Supply of LightWeight Litter

Products| 15 Comments

lightweight-litter

If you’re getting tired of lifting heavy litter, this contest may be just what you’ve been looking for. Tidy Cats® teamed up with  design enthusiast and lifestyle expert Jenni Pulos to make over one lucky cat’s litter box area.

“Like most things in your home, cat litter isn’t a one-size-fits-all – different lifestyles call for different types of litter,” said Jenni Pulos. “Through this contest, Tidy Cats and I are showing the lighter side of litter by bringing Tidy Cats LightWeight to cat lovers and creating a new space for one lucky winner to enjoy with their feline friend.”Continue Reading

Giveaway: Win Litter Lifter Litter Scoops for Your Cats and Your Favorite Shelter

Giveaways| 90 Comments

Litter_Lifter

I keep our litter boxes scrupulously clean. I pretty much scoop as soon as Allegra or Ruby deposit something in one of our two boxes (especially if it’s in the one right outside my office). And you better believe I make sure I do a good job, because Allegra, our official box supervisor, always follows behind and makes sure I’ve done it right.

I’m a firm believer that if there’s something you have to do every day, multiple times a day, you should have the best possible tool to do it with to make it easy on yourself. When it comes to litter scoops, I have yet to find a better product than Litter Lifter™. Continue Reading

Review: ökocat Natural Wood Clumping Litter

Products| 20 Comments

okocat_natural_litter

I’ll be honest right from the start: I use clay litter. Even though there’s an ever growing array of more eco-friendly, alternative litters on the market, I have yet to find one that Allegra and Ruby will actually use – and when it comes to cat litter, ultimately, it’s your cats’ call of what goes in the box, right?

I’m always interested to learn about new products, and when we had a chance to test the new ökocat Natural Wood Clumping Litter from Healthy Pet, I was intrigued. Continue Reading

The Optimal Litter Box for Your Cat

Feline Health| 43 Comments

cat_in_litter_box

The average cat uses the litter box three to five times a day. It would make sense that something that is used so frequently on a daily basis requires that we humans put a lot of thought into it. Unfortunately, cat guardians often select a litter box for all the wrong reasons – or at least for the wrong reasons from the cat’s perspective.

I was delighted to see that the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) devoted an entire section of its new Feline House-Soiling Guidelines to designing the optimal litter box. Their recommendations closely mirror what I’ve been telling my readers and clients for many years.Continue Reading

AAFP Issues New Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior

Feline Behavior, Feline Health| 9 Comments

feline_house-soiling

House-soiling, also known as inappropriate elimination, is one of the most common feline behavior problems, and one of the major reasons why cats end up in shelters. The majority of these cats will never find another home again.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) recently released new guidelines designed to aid veterinarians in diagnosing and treating feline house-soiling behavior.Continue Reading

Giveaway: Stand-N-Scoop Litter Scoop

Giveaways| 93 Comments

Stand-N-Scoop

This innovative litter scoop is a great solution for elderly cat guardians or those with bad backs and sore knees. The Stand-N-Scoop is an all steel scoop with a 54 inch handle. Weighing only 2.7 pounds , the 4×6 inch scoop catches the smallest particles and works well with all litter types. It comes in 3 colors: hot pink, blue, and gray. The scoop is powder coated for a sanitary surface. Made in the USA, the Stand-N-Scoop comes with a Lifetime Warranty.Continue Reading

Review and Giveaway: Simple Solution 30-Day Litter

Giveaways, Products| 87 Comments

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There were a lot of innovative new cat litters at Global Pet Expo, from alternative litters made from corn, recycled paper and walnuts to more environmentally friendly and lighter weight clay litters. One of the most intriguing new litters I saw was the new Simple Solution 30-Day Litter.

I’m well aware of the controversy around clay litter, but I’ve found that many cats don’t like the alternative litters. And no matter how much the human “in charge” may like the idea of these more environmentally friendly litters, ultimately, the cat calls the shots!

Simple Solutoin 30-Day Litter is a clay litter, but unlike traditional bentonite clay litters, Continue Reading

Giveaway: Litter Lifter Litter Scoop Assortment

Giveaways| 108 Comments

Litter_Lifter_scoops

Two weeks ago, we reviewed the Litter Lifter™ litter scoops. These cleverly designed litter scoops feature No-Sift™, peaked blades that are designed to only lift out the waste, leaving the clean litter in the box where it belongs. They make cleaning out the litter box fast and easy. The Litter Lifter™ comes in three sizes and 14 colors.

Enter to win a Litter Lifter™ Assortment – three winners!

Continue Reading

Review: Litter Lifter Litter Scoops

Products| 18 Comments

Litter_Lifter_scoops

Like most cat parents, cleaning the litter box is one of my least favorite chores. Don’t get me wrong, I do it diligently. Keeping the litter box clean is very important. Many inappropriate elimination problems are caused by a box that isn’t kept clean enough, at least, not from the cat’s point of view.

Since I work from home, I pretty much scoop as soon as Allegra or Ruby deposit something in one of our two boxes (especially if it’s in the one right outside my office). And you better believe I make sure I do a good job, because Allegra, our official box supervisor, always follows behind and makes sure I’ve done it right.

I have yet to find a litter box scoop that I really like. Continue Reading

Your Cat’s Litter Box: What Does Your Cat Really Prefer?

Feline Health| 28 Comments

cat_in_litter_box

Guest post by Lorie Huston, DVM

When cat’s begin to urinate and/or defecate outside the litter box, there are a number of different suggestions that are made to help convince the cat to return to the litter box. As a veterinarian, I’ve had this discussion and made these same recommendations over and over again to my cat-owning clients. I’ve also spoken about them here: Cat Litter Box Problems: What to do When Your Cat Decides Not to Use the Litter Box.

To be blunt, we make many of these recommendations based on experience. However, there is very little scientific evidence that supports them. This article by Dr. Jacqueline Neilson in Veterinary Medicine examines some of the literature available pertaining to cats, cat litter, and cat litter boxes. These are Dr. Neilson’s recommendations based on her review of that literature:Continue Reading