For the Love of Shoes and Blue Buffalo's Variety Pack!

It is time for a summer picnic and  www.chewy.com sent me a 12 count variety pack of cat food by Blue Wilderness and we can't wait to try it. As you can see, Mocha is waiting patiently to be served!  This is not your "boring" pack of food with the usual suspects, turkey and beef; this variety pack consists of four cans of duck, 4 cans of salmon and four cans of chicken. 

Chewy.com is offering the 12 count variety pack for 19% off, you save $3. I like the fact that this gives my gang of five something different to try, they really enjoyed the duck, it was different for them and they gobbled it all up! 

Why Blue Buffalo Wilderness Pate is a Healthy Choice for Your Cat
This Blue Buffalo Wilderness Pate is based on the diet of the lynx that thrives on a meat in the wild.  This special formula was crafted to provide your cat with a natural, ancestral diet with nutritional levels established by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles.

• This holistic food is made in the USA with high quality, natural ingredients.
• It is made with real meat or fish.
• Some brands of cat food use wheat to thicken their product, a trigger for allergies in some cats. Blue Buffalo never uses wheat to thicken food.
• No chicken/poultry by-products, artificial preservatives, corn or soy are added.
• This high protein pate is 100% grain free and fortified with vitamins and minerals.
• This food is recommended for adult cats.
• And, most important, my gang of five prefer pate as opposed to flakes, minced or bits. 

About Shoes
For some reason, tons of cat owners will verify that they have or have had a cat that loves to lay on shoes. Something about that intoxicating scent of a million different smells mixed together on the bottom of your feet intrigues your little kitty. The shoes are from my favorite shoe company Icon Shoes - www.iconshoes.com they also make other fab accessories. It looks like themaxx likes them too!!

Why Cats Love Shoes

• They want to smell where you’ve been all day.
•  Rubbing against shoes can be their way of reclaiming you as their territory 
•  Cats have scent glands in their foreheads and cheeks so rubbing their face against objects like shoes is a type of marking territory. Your scent is comforting, it may sound strange but some cats  the smell of our sweat relaxes cats.

Thinking Inside the Box... Kitty Litter

If you have indoor cats, there is no getting around cat litter, it is a necessity and a two billion dollar a year industry ! This year, cat litter celebrated its seventy year birthday. It was invented in 1947 by Edward Lowe who was living in Michigan selling sand, sawdust and clay to heavy industries that used this material to soak up spills.

The Story of Kitty Litter

An acquaintance of Lowe's asked for help, she didn't like the sand her cat dragged through her house. Most people used sand in litter boxes at the time. Lowe knew that clay was absorbent, so he gave her a bag of clay and her cats seemed to like it...and so did she, it was absorbent and cut down on odor.

 Edward knew he hit pay dirt so to speak with a money making idea to sell clay to cat owners. He went around the country selling "Kitty Litter" for .69 cents a bag to pet stores, he even showed off his product at cat shows and in 1964 he founded his company Tidy Cat. In 1990 he sold his company to a management team that changed the name of the company to Golden Cat Corporation. Following his death, the Golden Cat Corporation was sold to Ralston Purina.

Fresh Step Extreme - Hawaiian Aloha

This month, chewy.com sent me one of the best items yet, a new fabulously smelling kitty litter, Fresh Step Extreme and I am hooked.  It really has an amazing smell and is really effective at controlling odors, with five cats, this is critical!

Cats can take a bathroom break on litter that is as fresh as a Hawaiian Breeze with the new litter just released by Fresh Step. One of the keys to this formula that will make your house guests wonder if you even have cats is that it uses febreze to eliminate odors continuously, 24/7.

Advantages

• Febreze works to eliminate odors, not mask them.
• This litter uses advanced clumplock technology that makes clean-up easy-- and less clean up time for  you!
• The formula is low dust, there is nothing worse than litter dust on surfaces and in the air. It will cut down on constantly sweeping up litter dust.
• It is made for multi cat households.
• Extreme uses antimicrobial agents to stop the growth of  bacteria that causes odors.
• It lasts ten days so it is very cost effective. A 35 pound bag of Fresh Step Extreme is equivalent to a 50 pound bag of other non-clumping litter.

There are so many types of cat litter on the market these days it is hard to make a choice of what litter to use. I have found that Fresh Step Extreme is the best alternative kitty litter for my gang of five. Chewy.com is offering Fresh Step Extreme at a 37% savings, a 14 pound box is only $6.64.

How to Keep Cats Cool....

It is summer and measures are always taken to protect vulnerable groups, such as older people and young children from its effects. But what about another risk group: our cats? Chewy.com has tons of great products that keep pets cool...

Cats

Cats enjoy warm weather. They are also good at keeping themselves cool if necessary with a little help from their human friends.

• Don't let your cat go outside between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Do apply a pet sunscreen that can't be licked off to the nose and ears of pale colored cats if they do go outside.
• Do let your cat choose a cool place to lie down. They will naturally gravitate toward a cool tile floor, fan or ac in the summer, just like they curl up next to a fireplace or heat vent in the winter.
• Keep your curtains closed during the hottest part of the day in south or west facing windows -- this will also help to save on a/c bills.
• Don't worry if your cat is sleepy during the day, they sleep up to 16 hours a day anyway; and sensibly, they  nap even more on a hot day, rather than rushing about on a hot day getting hotter.
• Don't worry if your cat seems to be grooming more than usual. This is a cooling mechanism similar to sweating; as the saliva evaporates off the its fur, the cat will cool down.
• Don't worry if your cat starts panting; it is the way they take in cooler air if they are  unusually hot.  Heavy panting could be cause for concern.
• Do pay attention to your cat's paws, they have sweat glands on their paws.  If your cat is leaving wet paw prints, it is sweating and needs to replenish fluids.
• Make sure your cat has plenty of cold, clean, fresh water. I leave two water bowls around the house in addition to their cat water fountain.  
• As an extra tip,  drop a few ice cubes in the water bowls and fountain basin.
• NEVER EVER leave your cat in a car.

Ready to  Celebrate Summer

The other day, we received a special gift from www.chewy.com and we are ready to celebrate summer!   Remember if you order more than $49, shipping is free and an extra 5% savings for auto ship. Products come within two days of ordering.  Many products are discounted between 5 & 20%. And, as an FYI this mouse is one of their favorite toys!