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Cat on a Leash?! Taking the Right Steps for a Happier Cat and a Happier Home

March 8, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Fresh Step at Target. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

How many nights of a cat jumping on your face does it take to break a person? For me, the answer was 22.

After just over 3 weeks of having my sleep cycle totally jacked up by our new cat, Gus, I acknowledged my total lack of understanding about how to correct his behavior, and proceeded to Google the heck out of the problem and watch several videos from various cat whisperers.

What I learned is that our cat, simply put, is BORED. The girls play with him all the time (or at least it seems that way), but he needs more. He was a stray before he took up residence at the House of M, so perhaps he is used to more sights, sounds and smells than we can cram into our 1300 square feet of space.

My husband and I talked over what we could do to provide more enrichment in Gus’ life and in so doing, get back to getting enough sleep to function properly each day. And that is when inspiration struck.

What this cat needed was a leash. We read about leash training a cat online (something I HIGHLY recommend you research before attempting). Most cats can be trained for a leash, but cats have such varied and particular personalities that you really have to consider before taking this route. We read that the process of simply getting used to the harness could take a month or more, and that’s before even stepping a single paw outside on the leash.

Gus seems to be a leash outlier in his feelings about it. He gladly let us put the harness on him and didn’t struggle with it or try to get it off. And so…about 10 minutes after putting it on him, we found ourselves outside!

Gus was in heaven getting to be outside, and that really does make sense given that for at least some period of time, he lived outside 24/7. We live in an urban environment near a busy street, and for that reason among others, we don’t want Gus to be an indoor/outdoor cat in the traditional sense of the meaning. But by training him on a leash, we can give him that enrichment he craves and keep him safe at the same time. Also? It turns out that a cat on a leash gets other people’s attention, and makes them smile! We’ve been doing outside time for a few days, now, and we can already tell a difference in Gus’ behavior in the middle of the night. He seems more chill and content than he has been. It’s definitely a work in progress and everything we read online says that it will take time for him to develop a new rhythm in his own body, and to learn that night time is when the people sleep and when the people need to be left alone. But giving him the stimulation he needs to get all his energy out is a step in the right direction.

The Right Step is the Fresh Step

One other change we made about a month ago was to start using Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ Litter. We have 2 cats in our small home and when we first got Gus, the impact a second cat had on how our home smelled was immediately noticeable, and definitely not in a good way.

We have been really impressed with how well this product works. The litter box smell is virtually undetectable (odors aren’t masked…they are eliminated!) and the clumping of the litter makes scooping really easy. It also makes the litter last longer, overall, since you don’t get that horrible messy bottom layer of soaked litter like you do with many other brands. I also like that this is a lower dust formula (vs the previous formula) which means that it is a better choice for the health of our cats.

Target Savings!

Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ Litter is Available at Target and there’s never been a better time to head over that way to pick some up. From 3/6-3/12 you can get a $5 Target gift card when you buy 2 boxes.

Is your cat in need of some additional resources to be happy and fulfilled? Are you in need of a change in your cat routine to make your home happier? I hope I’ve given you some ideas today to help you on both fronts! 🙂 I’d love to see your photos of your cat rockin’ out (be it on a leash or however they find their kitty bliss) and I’d love to see pics of how Fresh Step® with the Power of Febreze™ is making everyone at home happier, too!

(Giveaway!) A New Family Pet and A New Litter Strategy

February 8, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · 38 Comments

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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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™.

Litter Box Hacks: How to Make Your Cats Happier and Your Space Neater

October 3, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

This post brought to you by Fresh Step Lightweight Extreme Litter. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

After I finally let go of my cat litter workout equipment a few weeks ago, I started using Fresh Step® Lightweight Extreme in the litter box for our two cats, Hattie and Rose. We noticed right away that the litter did an excellent job with clumping and with odor control. We have also noticed that when it is time to change out the litter, the removal process is easier on account of it not being as heavy. That’s a nice perk for the pet owners, especially when you consider that there just aren’t too many perks to be had when it comes to changing the litter. Take them where you can get them!

One problem we have been encountering with our cats ever since having them share a litter box is that they are quite messy. I’m not sure if they just don’t want to be near each others waste (which is fair) or what, but they are going NUTS with tossing litter around. Here’s what’s happening:

Ok, then. Since we already improved the litter situation for the humans in a few key ways (less weight, great odor control, aweome clumping) let’t go ahead and make some other improvements to deal with cats who play with litter like it’s the best toy ever. Since Fresh Step® Lightweight Extreme is available at Target, we headed that way to pick up another box of litter, and to get a box that we could turn into a litter palace for our kitties.

Then we reached for some tools! Always striving for perfection and precision, we created a circle using our salad plates, which aren’t even perfectly round. This is how we DIY, people. If you attempt to make this litter box, just be sure that your hole leaves enough room at the bottom to block a significant amount of litter that the cats might try to throw out of the box. YOU KNOW HOW THEY DO. You might also find that you need something sharp to get the cutting process started. We used a thingy that was on Tim’s multi-tool thingy. You’re welcome for the very specific suggestion.

Hattie served as the overseer during the construction of her new throne. Getting the hole started was kind of tough, but once we got going, it actually didn’t take long at all to finish. We got the new litter box in place, filled it with Fresh Step® Lightweight Extreme Litter, and added the mat at the bottom to catch litter that might be on the cats’ paws as they exit. MUCH better, don’t you think? And so far, so good. The litter is tototally under control now; the party stays IN the box. Fresh Step® Lightweight Extreme Litter, combined with a newfangled litter box system, have pretty much revolutionized our whole litter experience! 🙂

On Working Out and Becoming a Lightweight (#FreshStepCats)

September 22, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I’ve been working out faithfully for two weeks now. It feels really good to be getting into a routine and to be moving more, but to be honest, I’m already getting a little bored with the videos I’m finding online. While I’ve found some good aerobic routines, I’ve learned that I really do need to incorporate strength training into my routine. But do I really want a set of weights in my house taking up space? Especially when I have other things I need to buy for my kids and my kitties? So I decided to find something that I could make use of that also had a more practical application.

Bingo!!!!

Fresh Step® Lightweight Extreme Litter, available at Target, is now offered in a 30% lighter variety. It’s down to 15.4 pounds for the box as opposed to 25 pounds.

Hmm…..Challenge accepted!

I most definitely worked out with a box of cat litter this week. No shame in my game. Workout when you can, however you can in the time and space you can scrape together with the equipment you have on hand. In my case, that means utilizing the landing on the stairs and a box of cat litter. Welcome to real life as a parent and cat owner. Your needs do NOT come first! So if you have to choose between getting yourself a free weight set and getting your cats the best cat litter, this is going to be the end result:

While I have to make some sacrifices for my cats, they are certainly worth it. And in this case, I get to keep on working out and doing good things for myself while also doing good things for them. How could I deny these precious faces, anyway?

Stay tuned for an update about how the cats are enjoying their new litter, and about how my guns are coming along. I’ll have some new crazy cat lady photos you won’t want to miss! 🙂