Cat Experts Sound Off On Their Most-Loved Cat Products
The pet product industry is enormous and growing. According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent a staggering $66.75 billion on our pets in the U.S. in 2016! It made me wonder – with so many choices – how do you cut through the noise and identify the essentials? I asked some of my favorite cat experts “If you had to choose just one or two cat products that you couldn’t live without, what would they be?“ Here are their answers… and I agree with many of them
“If you had to choose just one or two cat products that you couldn’t live without, what would they be?“
Pam Johnson-Bennett, Owner Cat Behavior Associates, World Renown Cat Behaviorist and Award-Winning Author
“The Neko Flies toys provide the most versatility when it comes to interactive play. The wand itself is the most comfortable to hold in your hand so that it might encourage cat parents to play with their cats a bit longer. The assortment of prey toys available to attach to the wand makes it easier to match the correct toy to a particular cat’s play style and the design of each prey target is irresistible. The Neko Flies toy is well worth the price.
Scratching is a vital part of being a cat and to prevent or lessen damage to furniture, it’s important to provide kitty with an appealing scratching post. There are three key factors that go into whether a post will have cat-appeal or not. The post must be 1) tall, 2) sturdy, and 3) covered in an appealing material. Sisal-covered posts are the most popular with cats but even a sisal-covered one could get rejected if it’s short or wobbly. TopCat Scratching Posts meet all three of my rules.”
Ingrid King, Founder, The Conscious Cat
“I would pick the Assisi Loop as the one product cat parents of senior cats or cats with pain issues shouldn’t live without. The Assisi Loop features targeted pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (tPEMF™) to alleviate pain without any side effects. There are so few safe options for pain control in cats, this product is truly a godsend. Now if you’d ask my Ruby which product she can’t live without, she’d say the Jackson Galaxy Comfy Clamshell. This versatile bed converts from a cozy donut type bed to a super soft flat pad. Ruby naps on this pad every single day, and given the choice of cat beds she has in our house, that’s really saying something.
Chris Poole, Founder, Cole & Marmalade
“The one thing I couldn’t do without is cat treats! … Especially the all-natural freeze-dried treats we launched, Cole and Marm go crazy over them so I can use them as enrichment and hide them around the house and they “hunt” them down, put them in food puzzles, small or large (see 50 box cat maze video) … plus just today I was cleaning and needed them out of the basement so I could mop using chemicals and all I had to do was shake the treat bag – it’s the best sound in the world to them :)”
Cole & Marmalade love to help big cats through the sale of their freeze-dried treats!
Olivia Alexander, Co-Founder & CEO at Meowbox
“There are two products I can’t live without. One is our Litter Robot. It allows us to let the robot do the work for a few days until it’s time to empty the collection drawer. Otherwise, my obsession would have me scooping the box twenty times a day after each of our multiple cats uses the loo. The other essential item is Caledon Farms chicken cat treats (Caledon Farms), which we discovered when choosing items for meowbox. Our cats are OBSESSED with them and when we need to get them in the kennel, pose for photos, or come out from the closet, they only do so when we shake this specific treat container.”
Marc-Andre, Founder, Katzenworld Blog
“Firstly the Litter Robot automatic cat toilet as it means that in our three cat household NO cat has to use a dirty litter box! And in combination with a fine clumping litter we actually end up saving money because we spend a lot less money on cat litter over time. Another bonus is having gotten rid of the hassle of cleaning the litter box… The litter we use is also especially good for cats as it’s soft and doesn’t hurt their paws as some of the silica and/or clumping litters with larger granules could do.
The second product would be the fantastic cat toys from 4cats.de in Germany. Especially the valerian toys have been lifesavers for friends, acquaintances and readers. What many people don’t know is that while valerian root makes cats as hyper as catnip at first – it leaves them much calmer and more relaxed afterwards which is especially handy when your cat is about to go on a stressful vet visit and similar.”
Lori Shepler, Founder, City the Kitty, and Anti-Declaw Advocate
City the Kitty also loves his Hide and Sneak. He sleeps in it and plays in it all the time! It’s a perfect playground for cats with the crinkling sound of a paper bag that cats love!”
Laura Moss, Founder, Adventure Cats
“There are so many amazing cat products out there, but I guess if I were to ask my kitties to weigh in themselves they would undoubtedly say that they can’t live without their Hide and Sneak tunnels and their Puppia harnesses because every day they want to have an adventure — both indoors and out!”
Rob Moore, Founder, The ShoKo Show
“I don’t want to live without my Litter Robot! I’m not even a lazy person, but it allows me to be lazy when it comes to cleaning the litter. And the cats (Shorty and Kodi) see it as entertainment when it starts a cycle so that’s fun to watch too. Also, the Catit scratching board. It’s an inexpensive cardboard scratcher that the cats absolutely love. When I get a new one they go crazy for it and use it as a bed too (even though they have an actual cat bed to sleep on).”
Jenny Dean, Founder, Floppycats.com
“The truth is that there is nothing I can’t live without – well, maybe air, food, water. I definitely take that question way too seriously. But there are a few cat products that I would rather not live without! For example, Floppycats readers always say how ridiculous it is that I say that the Litter-Lifter litter scoop will change your life – until they try it. And then they write me and tell me that they now understand why I am so passionate about a litter scoop. It is the best litter scoop – I don’t know why any others are made, honestly. I am also currently obsessed with the Zen Clippers – which are cat nail clippers that help you easily trim your cat’s claws without worrying about cutting their quick. They are so well-made and easy-to-use – you can also send them back to the manufacturer for re-sharpening! YES! Love when manufacturers stand behind their product like that and don’t see their product as a throw-away product. I did a post once about 10 Cat Products I’d Rather Not Live Without if The Catnip Times’ readers want to check it out!
Lauren Mieli, Founder, The Catnip Times
“I had to weigh in, of course. I have to agree with Jenny Dean on the Litter Lifter Litter Scoop. It is seriously the best litter scooper around and nothing beats it. It makes cleaning the litter boxes so much easier. And the second product that I love is the SmartCat Multi-Level Climber. I created an indoor gym for my cats (pictured left) with this climber on a closet door and it leads up to some shelves that I bought from Ikea that I velcro’d some carpet to. They have a blast climbing up and down. It’s great to keep indoor cats energized and excited about their environment to prevent boredom and obesity. Of all of the products mentioned, I think I’m going to have to try this Litter Robot! I was surprised to see how many of my friends use it and absolutely love it.”
It’s Your Turn
Sound off about the one or two products you and your cats just couldn’t live without!
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