Hi hi hi!!! This request is mainly for my brother, and I apologize if the request is a bit bizzare, but I was wondering, could you do Big Poo (a character by YouTuber Apandah that my brother is obsessed with) related dividers, pixels, anything of the like? (Doesn't have to specifically be Big Poo related, it can also just be related to cats too if that's easier ^^ /gen /pos)
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1487225505573183490/b3iFm538_400x400.jpg [image of bigpoo, I have no idea why my brother is obsessed with it 😭 /silly)
Hii !. I'm planning to buy a cat after much thought and pleading. Can you give me a few tips and pointers on how to look after a cat?. Are they're any books/ websites you recommend before buying one ?. I'm ready to take all steps necessary. Thank you for your help :)))).
Hey, congrats on a new kitty! :)
Some basic advice that I can think of:
- Keep kitty inside! And don’t declaw. These two things are some of the biggest issues surrounding cat welfare, as outdoor cats live much shorter lives & are exposed to many dangers, and declawing is very detrimental to them due to their physiology.
- It’s always easier to prevent problems than to fix them. Make sure you have trees available for climbing. Make sure you have multiple types of scratchers available too so you can see what your kitty prefers - there’s sisal rope, carpet, and cardboard, horizontal & vertical.
- Try to have at least two litter boxes, even for one cat. Elimination is one way they mark their territory, so having litter boxes in different places around your living space will help avoid inappropriate elimination & give them options. Storage totes make really nice large litter boxes for less money! It’s best to scoop the boxes at least once a day to keep a clean box & make sure your kitty doesn’t turn to other places. This also helps you keep an eye on their elimination & how their poop looks & how much they’re peeing - gross, but important for noticing health issues.
- Also keep in mind that if you do have any issues with your cat going in non-litter-box places, the first step is always to schedule a vet appointment. Health issues are a common cause of litter box problems & need to be ruled out before you consider behavioral problems.
Toys & enrichment can be confusing for a new owner, but these sites have some great resources. The OSU one has info on how to figure out what type of prey your cat likes to chase so you can pick out appropriate toys more easily.
Cats Indoors site has a lot of resources care, enrichment, etc. - https://catsindoors.weebly.com/
I really like this site as well, for enrichment & how to keep happy cats - https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats
Here are a couple good posts that discuss body language and cat communication:
I know there are some books that are recommended, but honestly I’m blanking. My Amazon book wish list is um. Very long. And I definitely should’ve put pet-related books in my pet supplies wish list instead, RIP. So maybe my followers or @catsindoors or @followthebluebell might be able to recommend some books or other good sites?
Hope you're ready for a pointless hot take on cat litter cause I'm awake and I have opinions!
Cat tax;
Long ass litter rant under the cut, if tumblr mobile actually does it right for once 😤
Alright friends with felines, here's a little thing no one asked for but every morning I clean the cat box I think about making a post about it and never do. But today I am!
Bit of backstory, going to try and keep it brief. But if you've seen any of my other text posts, you'll know I struggle at that.
We were given about a half box of cat litter, I'll go into the brand in a bit. We're on a very, very tight budget so that saved us from having to buy litter for another week, dope. Except no, holy crap no. Despite being from the same brand we typically buy, it's usefulness was on par with the cheap bulk QualiCat nonsense from Costco. I used what would have normally been 2 weeks worth of cat litter in less than a week because of this crap.
Now this might not be the case for everyone's cats, so keep all that in mind when I go off about cat litter.
I do my best to empty the litter box every morning as part of my 'bathroom routine', so usually the accumulated waste isn't outrageous. That being said Bruce (the black cat in the cattax) is a piss machine and it's often sticky. (For those who might be worried, she's 16 and I very recently took her to be checked for Diabetes + other possible issues because I was worried about that and other potential symptoms. All tests came back clear 👍) So it's not uncommon for the litter box to be a couple nuggets of poop, but 2 or 3 massive 5in chunks of kentic sand-like cat litter clumps.
This is where the difference in litter quality comes in.
We were given a box of Arm and Hammer Multi Cat Clumping Litter. It comes in a yellow box, and Walmart sells the 18kg box for $23.97 CAD.
Extra value my ass
I think for most people on a budget or even not wanting to spend more money on ~fancy litters would choose this option. But trust me when I say this is one of those items that you're better of spending the money of higher quality versions of. Like a bed or a good desk chair.
The amount of dust this letter kicked up alone was insane. I noticed it immediately because my watch had a fine layer of powder on it after I refilled the box. But even looking at the litter itself, you can see larger particles of litter and a lot pow just powderyness. Best I can describe it is as if someone took a peice of concrete, smashed it up, and then poured it into a litter box. Maybe the larger flakes or whatever of the litter are meant to aid in the clumping? But it most certainly did not.
After only one day, the cat box looked as if I'd neglected it for 3. The containment of pee in the clumps is so poor that there were legitimately puddles of pee on top of the clumps. I am genuinely so upset at how bad this litter is, and we got it for free. The only positive to this litter is that inside the box it's in bag. And that's also only a positive if you have a scoop to move the litter from the bag to the litter box. Otherwise pouring from a bag in a box that weighs 18kg is not exactly the easiest thing.
What we usually buy is also Arm and Hammer, but we get the Clump and Seal Multi Cat Clumping Litter. Specifically the 17.2kg box for $27.97 CAD.
Now I do have a few gripes with this product, but my complaints with this litter aren't about the litter quality itself. They do this very annoying thing where the 9.1kg box is $20.97 CAD but the 18.7kg box is $27.97 CAD. That might not seem like a huge price difference but when your grocery budget is about $40, it is. However it doesn't make any sense to get the 9.1kg, or even the 12.7kg for $23.97 CAD, when you get so much more litter per dollar with the larger box. Also unlike the other litter, these are all boxes with a punch out hole for pouring, and don't open from the top easily to use a scooper. Again, even though not in a bag this time, pouring an 18kg box of essentially sand is not exactly easy and precise work.
Looking at the actual litter, this time it's much finer. I don't know the science behind piss and odour absorption, but I do know this stuff doesn't smell like a litter box after their first use of it nor do the clumps end up so large in single day that I have to refill the enter box after removing them. It's also not dusty at all, which is why I realized just how dusty the other one was since my watch has never been covered in dust after refilling.
So yea. That's the main point of this whole little litter rant.
But I've got some bonus "tips" to add too, because these are a couple other things that have just made dealing with the litter box a much easier task for my stupid ass depressed ADHD brain. So keep going if that's a thing you stuggle with too. And remember not to let yourself beat yourself up too hard for struggling with seemingly basic tasks. I do too. A lot of people do.
Get yourself a couple dollarstore items;
- dog poop bags, I find the ones with the little handles easier to use for the cat litter vs the rolls.
- a metal brownie/cookie spatula, the solid flat ones with a slightly beveled edge.
- small boot mats and a small broom.
So the poop bags are a bit obvious. I usually have to use 2 per litter change, but by scooping into the poop bags and then tying them off before trashing them, it keeps them from stinking up the room between garbage days. It also eliminates the need to have a dedicated litter locker type situation, which is great if you have one, but if you don't having to add extra steps for litter specific disposal can easily become a point of avoidance for cleaning the box.
The bootmats are for the doorway to the room with the litter box. I've found dedicated litter catchers that are supposed to go just outside the box end up getting pissed on. Then you have to clean it properly to prevent them from doing it again, and even then it still gets all nasty. We don't want the cats tracking the litter everywhere though, so what I did was take the mats meant for catching salt and stuff from winter boots and snip it to fit the bathroom door. You still end up with litter in the bathroom, so that's were the small broom and ... bin? (Major brain fart and I can't remember what the scoopy part for a broom is called right now??) comes in. Keep it beside the garbage in there and sweep it up when you clean the box. Having a dedicated cat litter sweeper right beside the box helps prevent me from skipping that step because I have to go get the broom and DUST PAN (that's it!) and come back.
That's the style of mat I'm referring too. The ones with the little grooves in them. They're small enough to just fit in the door frame so you don't even have to step on it if your barefoot and don't like the texture (Heyo!) but they also catch the extra litter off the kitties paws. Plus because they're cheap, $1 mats, if they get pissed on you can just trash it and put down a new one.
And lastly, the metal spatula. First off, write cat litter on the handle somewhere just in case. My paranoid ass thinks at some point it might get taken out of there and someone might wash it and try to use it for cookies or something. 😅 But this is for helping get the cat litter unstuck from the box. Like I'd mentioned, Bruce's pee is really oddly sticky (again, she's fine.) so it can be a pain to just scoop it with the scooper. Using the metal spatula I go around the edges of the box, then slide it flat across the bottom to break the major clumps free of the box. I generally try not to break them apart much, unless I can't get it into the scoop or poop bags in one piece. Once I've gotten the major stuff scooped I'll run the edge across the bottom of the box to make sure nothing else is stuck. Then I'll pour in some new litter, use the spatula to mix it in with the old litter, then use a piece of toilet paper to wipe off anything stuck. By using it to mix in the new clean litter first it tends to help anything sticky on it get less sticky.
Im not sure why this image specifically had meat in it, but it made me laugh and this is exactly what mine looks like so I'm rolling with it. Don't use your cat litter spatulas on your dinner folks. Or do, if that's your thing. Who am I to judge.
Sometimes we also have Arm and Hammer Litter Box Deodorizer that I'll mix in with the litter top-up, but usually it's not needed with the clump and seal litter. It helps if you need more time between litter box cleanings. In Canada getting it at Walmart is a better deal than the Dollarama one, FYI. The Dollarama one is like 3/4 the size of the Walmart one for the same price.
Okay that's it, that's all I got. For now. 😅
Go out there and get better products for less hassle and stress in this insanity called 'living'. Much love! Toodles!
I accidentally added a poll and now I can't remove it?? So uh, did you find this helpful? 😂
