One of the first commercially available cat litters was Kitty Litter, available in 1948 and marketed by Ed Lowe. He started the first large scale use of clay in litter boxes making it easier for cats to be indoors and part of the family. Previously sand was used, because in a natural environment, cats would use soft sandy soil for easy burial. Clay litter is much more absorbent than sand, and having a larger grain allows it to remain in the litter box when the cat exits. Because it’s a loose, granular material that absorbs moisture, it has worked well for more than 50 years for most pet owners. The brand name Kitty Litter has become a generalized trademark, used by many to denote any type of cat litter.

Some litter brands contain baking soda or charcoal to absorb odors from ammonia in urine. While most litters are clay, some use recycled paper pellets or silicon based crystals.

While we expect a cat to just “know” how to use a litter box, that isn’t always the case. The easiest way is to train the cat to the box is to make the litter more appealing. Cats are individuals, and may have a preference for one kind of litter over another. If your cat stops using the litter box (or never started) there are a few things to consider. Illness, pain, waste not cleaned out often enough, stress, perfumes or other odors, or feeling vulnerable in the box can make a cat unhappy about using it. Sometimes just moving the box to another, more private location helps. When you clean the box; make sure there are no lingering odors from cleaning solvents. And try a few different brands of litter – while he may turn up his stately cat nose at one, he might love another. Sometimes owning a pet is just trial and error!

If you have multiple cats, there’s also the possibility you many need various box styles and litters in them to accommodate each cat’s desires.

If cat stress is causing your problem, how do you know? Some of the most common causes of “cat stress” are overcrowding in multi-cat households, moving, confinement, travel, new family members, parties/visitors, cat shows, medical conditions and injuries, new neighborhood cats, and change. Cats, while independent and sensitive to change. Obviously, the best thing is to remove the situation causing the stress, but if that’s not possible you may have to contact your veterinarian for a medical solution.

It’s important to have a routine to keep the litter box clean and remove feces as soon as they are deposited. Pregnant women should never clean the litter box themselves due to the threat of toxoplasmosis. The a good long scoop or self-cleaning box is a wonderful solution. Unfortunately, to do a really good job most require clumping litters – and clumping litters have their own hazards.

Clumping litter is designed to form a hard, insoluble mass when it gets wet. It also produces a fine dust when the cat scratches around to bury a deposit. Clumping litters absorb many times their weight in liquid. This is a boon for owners that don’t want to change the litter as often but can be dangerous for some cats, and especially kittens. When they lick themselves clean, anything their tongues encounter gets ingested. Kittens especially tend to ingest a lot of litter when they are first learning to use the box. Once the litter is inside a kitten or cat, it expands. It will form a solid mass and coat the interior walls of the intestines. This causes dehydration as the fluids in the body are drawn out of the animal. Moreover, it can prevent absorption of nutrients or water. Kittens have very small intestines so a hard insoluble mass could very well produce a fatal blockage or and severe dehydration over time.

The problem extends beyond cats. Dogs get into the litter box and ingest litter too. Litter may be a little recognized cause of dog and cat deaths. Sodium bentonite, a naturally swelling clay, is often added as an extremely effective clumping agent. When liquid is added, bentonite swells to approximately 15 times its original volume acting as an expandable cement. The fine dust also causes respiratory ailments in rabbits and other small animals as well.

It’s important to weigh your convenience with the safety of your pet. If your cat tends to do a lot of licking in the litter box, avoid the clumping varieties altogether.

Ever Clean Everfresh Cat Litter with activated charcoal is both bonded to the litter and mixed among the litter granules to help keep your home smelling clean and fresh.

Litter-Lifter Kitty Litter Scoop for Cats and Felines – Purple

The award-winning Litter-Lifter scoop is the fastest and easiest scoop for cleaning clumping litter boxes.

ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box

Tired of scooping kitty litter every day? Give your back a break. By Lucky Litter, the ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box automatically rakes solid waste into a covered trap after each use, leaving the litter fresh and clean. There is nothing to fill, empty, or clean for weeks at a time! Saves you time and money; it uses 5 10 times less litter than regular litter boxes. Complete, easy instruction book included; little assembly required. Additional details: * Twenty-minute countdown cycle begins when your cat leaves the box; if your cat returns, the countdown cycle stops and resets when he leaves again. * After countdown, the rake sweeps the litter and moves solids into the waste trap, then flips over on its return path to smooth and level the litter bed. * Each disposable litter tray is designed to be left alone for up to 30 days with 1 cat, up to 2 weeks with 2 cats. * To change cartridge, simply place the box top on cartridge and dispose of the entire thing. * Whisper-quiet motor; UL listed/Class 2 transformer plug, 120V AC with 10 power cord. * Litter box measures 27L x 19W x 7H. * Includes your first disposable litter tray with 4.5 pounds Fresh Step Crystal litter that is 99% dust free, safe for all cats. We would like to remind our customers, especially pregnant women and immuno-suppressed persons, that cat feces can sometimes transmit a disease called toxoplasmosis. Always remember to wash your hands thoroughly after handling cat litter. (Unused litter does not pose this risk.) Import. Express delivery not available.

Easy right? You bring a kitten into your home, feed him and that’s it. Cats are supposed to be easy. But wait! …did you forget something? A cat is a living, breathing creature that forms emotional attachments to its family – not unlike you. A cat is not just a pretty doorstop – there is a minimal amount of commitment that comes with owing any pet.

While cats are one of the easier pets to own, they are not a doorstop. They have basic needs; the most important being emotional needs (beyond food and water). If you don’t have time for a pet, you shouldn’t have one. If you don’t have time for a pet for its LIFETIME, get a doorstop.
So what are those “basic needs”?

Your cat needs to live indoors. The world has just become too dangerous to be an outdoor cat. While traffic comes to mind, there is more. Cats are susceptible to garbage poisoning, or fights with other cats. They may be chased and killed by dogs or coyotes. They can be a nuisance defecating in flower beds and sandboxes, kill songbirds and other mammals receiving the ire of neighbors. Because a cat can climb it can be difficult to confine outdoors – so your cat needs to live inside.

Inside you need to provide a rich and stimulating environment. Cat toys that are feathery, furry or have catnip inside, a scratching post, indoor plants with greens to chew on, perhaps a companion animal, and of course your time playing games will provide an environment of mental stimulation so your cat doesn’t become a neurotic mess.

A responsible pet owner will spay/neuter. Beyond the obvious advantage that you aren’t brining perhaps thousands of unwanted cats into the world, it eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer, and reduces incidence of breast cancer. It reduces the incidence of prostate disorders and cancers in male cats, which are also less likely to spray and mark territory. Spaying or neutering your cat will make it a more affectionate companion.

Finally, cats also need your companionship. If you are gone allot, consider getting another cat or some other compatible animal for the cat to socialize with. Cats are aloof, but still sociable and need someone to “talk” to just like you do.

All pets should wear a collar and tag that includes your address as well as a day and evening telephone number. A breakaway collar is safest for cats because of their propensity to climb trees. Without a breakaway collar a lost cat is at risk of becoming caught on a branch and hanging.

Like any pet, a cat requires a balanced, nutritious food. Don’t skimp here – buy the best you can afford. Your cat will be healthier and avoid nutritionally caused disease. Look for the AFCO label on the can or bag.

Your cat should always have access to fresh water – and I don’t mean a flushed toilet or dripping sink. A bowl of his very own that you make sure is fresh and filled daily.
A litter box is a necessity for an indoor cat – make sure you change the litter often. To encourage the cat to use the litter box, leave a small amount of urine or feces in the box so that he’ll return to the box when nature calls. Clumping litter is easier to scoop and change with less waste.

Finally, a pet needs good veterinary care. Recently a new specialty has been evolving among veterinarians – cat specialists. If you are lucky to have one of these vets in your neighborhood it may be worth checking out. Because they specialize in cats, your cat is seen by someone well versed in feline behavior and disease. He won’t have to sit in a waiting room with dogs who may consider him a food group.

Once there make sure your cat gets up-to-date on shots yearly and a thorough exam for health. If your cat has an emergency health problem, don’t wait. Most vet offices have some sort of emergency care procedure. Find out yours so you’ll know before you need it. If the unexpected happens, get to the vet quickly.

A cat is your responsibility from day one to the end of its life. Before you decide to take home that cute kitten, consider it will be a part of your life for the next 12-20 years. Your cat is a friend and companion, seeing you through marriages, children and possibly funerals. It’s not fair to get a pet only to drop it off at the humane society later because it’s “inconvenient”. A pet is a commitment – for life.

Click on Photo to Buy…

Cat Doorstop

Cat Feeding Bowl

Breakaway Cat Collars

While cats are naturally “cool”, we must consider that the weather is heating up and summer heat can be tough on an older or well furred cat.

From the cats perspective you should be providing a feast and Egyptian slave to fan him. Since that’s not really feasible these days, we’ll have to find other methods to keep the cat relaxed and cool.

Cats are naturally cool in personality, but sometimes they need a little assistance being physically cool in hot weather. Small animals become dangerously overheated faster, so it’s important to pay attention on really warm days. If you have a dog, and the dog is panting, the cat is likely even warmer.

• Try putting a pan of ice in front of her personal fan.
• Give him wet towels to lie on.
• Put ice packs in pillow cases for the cat to lie on.
• Put ice in his water bowl throughout the day
• Put some fans at floor level.
• Give an especially hairy cat a lion cut at the groomers.
• Fill a sink with cool water about an 1″ deep and stand the cat in the water. He’ll eventually realize he’s cooling down and love it. (well, at least SOME cats will love it)
• Freeze some large ice blocks and leave them around in pans for easy access.
• Take a wet washcloth and wipe them down now and then.
• And don’t let the dogs fool you…cats love these too:


Thermoregulating Pet Bed Medium 22 x 32


The K&H Cool Bed III

Cats ARE the coolest…and if you thought you’d get some life lessons here – forget it. Cats aren’t philosophical, they’re practical. They do what benefits them and their survival. Cat behavioral instincts are still strong after hundreds of thousands of years. When felines aligned themselves with the human race, they didn’t give up control in the process. Cats made sure we are still at their beck and call – merely downsizing a bit so they’ll fit in the house or a lap quite comfortably.

Cats teach us many things, but their strengths are in teaching us about power in relationships. They are expert manipulators, and don’t get emotionally involved unless it suits them. They are survivors and know to become too emotionally involved is weakness. Until there is total trust, you’ll never see vulnerability in a cat; only then will he let his guard down.

Cats always try to look good – maybe it’s because they know cats are the subject of cat art. Cats are vain and proud. There is no humility in a cat! A cat will not be your doormat.

While cats are playful, it’s on their own feline contrived terms. Their primitive strength lies in their ability to differentiate between the important and unimportant. We can learn from that because while catching a mouse may be important, a bath is not. It’s all about priorities and cats have strong priorities. Maybe we need them too.

Cuteness gets you what you want. While cats don’t think of themselves as cute (that would be just too demeaning) they do know they are handsome and know WE think they are cute…and this can best be used to obtain what one wants. Bowl of milk? Purr and use those big eyes. New cat toys? Destroy the couch with saber-edged claws…then use the kitten eyes. Cute can even save your life. Ask an abandoned kitten.

Cats know sex and good looks can sell anything. It was probably a cat that inspired the advertising for Levis jeans. Slow sensuous stretches, leisurely pawing at a dangling toy. You’ll never see them selling homemade cat food recipes! If there’s a way of manipulating you with unabashed sensuality, cats have it down pat.

While dog people can’t see it, cats are very loving. What seems like self-centered grooming is usually in the presence of their human friends. Grooming is a way of showing affection. I’m making myself “BEAUTIFUL” for you says volumes. This is something dogs don’t do. They figure you’ll love them no matter how stinky they are, but a cat shows its love for you by being clean, well groomed and looking good.

Cats compensate. I once knew a feral cat that had been shot through the head. He survived with perpetual sinus infections. He didn’t ask for sympathy, but managed to seek out someone that would make sure he had regular vet visits and moved in under her porch. The irony was that her husband was the one that had shot him. He didn’t hate, he didn’t give up – just made friends with his enemy’s wife. Kings have founded empires on this philosophy.

I knew a cat once that made friends with a very big dog. This cat was not afraid of anything because his “dog friend” would protect him – even from other male cats. It’s helpful to have powerful friends in high places and a smart cat capitalizes on convenient friendships. Big, strong minions bestow power on small weak dictators.

Cats are power hungry, but they know when to go hide in the cat carrier and wait for a more opportune moment to make their move. Strategy and cunning is how fiefdoms become empires. Felines one day will rule the world. You have my promise.

Having cats was a real eye opener – they are bossy, arrogant, sweet and sassy. I got used to it. Then I had a baby girl and realized it was just more of the same. Only this package didn’t come with fur and claws – it came with a mouth and a will of iron. I began thinking about how much cats are like toddlers and how my cat prepared me for being a parent.

The hardest lesson to learn was to bend to the will of a greater authority – the CAT. Once you have a cat, your life is no longer your own. Your existence is ruled by a small, furry dominatrix. She tells you when to wake up (by sitting on your face) and what you are allowed to feed her (by turning her nose up at another expensive food you went into hock to buy). By learning to submit to the will of the cat, you become a well trained human – ready for the demands of a toddler. You learn a lot having a cat – and your child benefits because she gets an experienced slave. The cat is merely a toddler on training wheels! Cats are like todlers because:

1. Both will get you to regularly prepare foods you’d ordinarily never touch.
2. They run the household with conviction and determination.
3. Cats and toddlers both destroy your furniture – cats use their claws, toddlers use art supplies and shoes.
4. Both are deceptively soft, with eyes that will melt even the hardest heart.
5. Cats and toddlers both love dangly earrings and tottering on the edge.
6. Cats and toddlers will follow you around the house until you notice them – that is unless they’re hiding so you can’t find them.
7. Both like to snuggle in bed where it’s warm and cuddly.
8. Neither has any respect for the bathroom door.
9. Both insist upon instant maid service, and get it.
10. Neither has any idea what hygene is…the cat eats dead things and the toddler eats dirt.
11. Both have a limited amount of tolerance for too much stimulation.
12. Cats chase mice, the toddler chases the cat, and we chase them both.
13. They like to torture each other (it’s all in good fun)
14. Toddlers come in all shapes, sizes and colors – just like cats.
15. Both have the spirit of exploration and curiosity.
16. Can we say “totally unpredictible”?
17. Even with familiar people, cats can be bashful, just like some toddlers.
18. Sometimes they both like to play alongside rather than with their friends.
19. Cats and toddlers are bossy – and we love them for it
20. Are plotting to take over the world together, one adult human at a time!