I have news: my family has adopted a new cat! Fresh Step® with the power of Febreze™ heard our news and partnered with me today to share our story of overcoming the loss of a beloved pet and adopting a cat who needed a family.
For the past 1 1/2 years, we have had a very lovable cat. Her name was Rose and she was a petite little pile of fluff who loved nothing more than to curl up with a good human. She was a gem of a find from our local animal shelter, and we were so glad to be able to give her a loving, safe home, as she had come from a home where the owner hoarded animals (I believe they said they counted well over 30 cats in a small residence).
Unfortunately, it seems that Rose contracted a fatal disease called FIP while living in those bad conditions, but it didn’t make itself known until late November of last year. Even then, the vet thought she had contracted a (common) upper respiratory infection. Only a few weeks later did we realize that something severe was occurring and that our beloved Rose would not survive.
It is so sad to lose a pet because they do become members of your family. My precious little Layah cried and asked through her tears if Rose would be joining the force, just like Obi-Wan (we spent the fall slowly working through Star Wars episodes IV-VI with the girls). We spent a lot of time over the following weeks sharing memories of Rose.
We were also preparing our hearts for a new addition, and about a month after Rose’s passing, we went back to the animal shelter as a family to see if there might be another cat who was awesome around kids, and who wanted cuddles.
When we told the volunteer at the shelter what we were looking for, she immediately took us into the back room and pointed to this cage.
Inside was a rather humongous cat named Gus. At first glance, I didn’t think he could possibly be the right choice for us (I imagined getting another tiny cat). But my husband reminded me to have an open mind, and so I agreed to get him out of the cage and play with him for a bit.
Well you know where this story is going, I bet!
This big boy melted our hearts with his loving personality and his ease around our girls. He reached his paws up to my face (very gently) and asked not just for pets, but also hugs! And he showed absolutely zero apprehension around our girls. He eagerly accepted pets from every member of the family and then gave us a look that said, “So, family, when are we going home?”
We went out for lunch so that we could all discuss what we wanted to do. And over chicken nuggets and waffle fries we concluded that while he wasn’t what we were expecting, he was everything we were looking for, all the same. And just like that, we headed back to the shelter and adopted Gus.
Two Cats, One Litter Box
But I will tell you something we weren’t quite prepared for: how the litter box struggles with two large cats. Gus was also recently neutered, so he still has some hormones working out of his system, and until they are gone, his litter box odors are quite strong, indeed. I knew after the first 24 hours at home that we needed a new strategy, because our whole house smelled like a giant, used litter box. Gross!
Since my family isn’t into spraying chemicals in our house or trying to mask odors, I knew we would need to do something that would actually eliminate the odors. We now do 2 things that work really well to keep the odors to an absolute minimum:
1. We scoop the litter box twice a day. I know this sounds like overkill, but we’ve been really surprised by what a big difference it makes to clean out the litter box in the morning, and once again just before bed. Our cats both seem to like to play during the night, so they are awake and definitely make use of their box while we are sleeping. I can tell that they are both happier with a cleaner box to use.
2. We are using . This is a new product from a brand I have always trusted because it creates its products with the health and happiness of the cats in mind, first and foremost. This particular formula has a lower dust formula to keep the air and surrounding surfaces cleaner. And with the power of Febreze™ added, you can expect the odors not to be masked, but rather to be eliminated. What’s left behind after a litter box session is actually a fresh, clean scent. Imagine that! It’s awesome, friends.
Our two strategies have yielded excellent results. That litter box smell lingering throughout my house is totally gone (thank goodness!) and the act of cleaning out the litter box isn’t overwhelming or as gross as it used to be.
If you don’t think scooping the litter box as often as we do is going to work for you, no worries! Fresh Step with the power of Febreze offers a 10-day odor control guarantee. I wouldn’t personally recommend going 10 days without scooping the litter box (you will have grumpy kitties on your hands if you do that!), but it’s good to know that Fresh Step with the power of Febreze will keep the odors under control if you need to stretch your cleaning sessions a bit.
If your family might need a feline member to feel complete, you can find a list of your nearest animal shelters here. And if you’d like to get more information about Fresh Step with the power of Febreze (including coupon offers!) head over to the Fresh Step Facebook and pages.
Win it!
Here’s your chance to win something super fun! Twenty lucky people will each win a February subscription box from CatLadyBox, which will include exclusive cat items for you and your cat as well as a coupon for a free box of Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ (approximate retail value of $39.99 each)! To enter, complete the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the right sidebar of the page.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™.