Back on the Litter Box Track with #PreciousCat

Hi everyone, Katie here.

We all know there are far too many cats in shelters, just hoping for chance at a true forever home. It’s particularly heartbreaking to hear about cats who’ve been surrendered to shelters by their owners. We always want to ask ourselves, “Why?” One of the most common reasons cats are turned over to a shelter, or worse yet abandoned, can be traced back to the litter box.

Dr. Bruce Elsey, the veterinarian behind Precious Cat and their line of revolutionary litter products, understands and empathizes with cats and guardians facing this dilemma and has created solutions to help overcome these behavioral challenges. 



Abused, Abandoned & Shelter Bound
Wow. Just that headline is chilling. According to Dr. Elsey, “Over nine million cats suffer from Litter Box Aversion. In fact, it’s the #1 behavioral reason cats are abused, abandoned and placed in shelters.” 

Because of this, Dr. Elsey knew he just had to come up with a litter formulation that would be more acceptable to cats, especially those with litter box problems. Working with local shelters and using his own clinic for testing, he created and fine tuned a litter formulation called Cat Attract that's been incredibly successful and well received.  His goal and the company’s mission is to provide products that help cats live happier, healthier lives in a home, not a shelter. 

Stress & Change
Waffles and I are no strangers to stress. A change in environment, including a NEW HOUSEMATE (i.e. Waffles,) can be a game changer for cats that have never strayed from their litter box before. 

As with any problem or concern, it's important to first rule out underlying medical conditions that may be a contributing factor. The good news is that many litter box problems do not involve a medical condition at all, instead, it's all about behavior. This is exactly what the Precious Cat's products are intended to help with. Dr. Elsey has some super-smart tips for EVERYONE's litter box.

Seven Tips for Getting Cats Back on the Litter Box Track:

#1  Keep it Clean

This means daily scooping! Everyday. 

#2  Big is Beautiful

The litter box needs to be large enough, in fact it sould be 1.5X the lengh of the cat so he or she can easily turn around in it. 

#3  Do the Math: 1 + 1 = 3??? 

The magic number is one litter box per cat plus one extra. We’re a two cat townhouse here. That means one for me, one for Waffles,  plus one extra for good measure.

#4  Plastic Isn't Forever
A plastic litter box can eventually pick up an odor that cats may find objectionable and subsequently they can develop an aversion to it. If you use plastic, just remember it might have an expiration date.

#5  Location, Location, Location
Position litter boxes in quiet, safe places. Not next to noisy washing machines and rumbling furnace rooms. They should also be kept separate from eating and sleeping areas. It seems like common sense...after all, when's the last time you saw your human host a dinner party in the bathroom? Surely they wouldn't want to curl up in there with their pillow and blanket either. So why should we?

#6  Go Topless
Most cats prefer an open top litter box as opposed to closed styles.

#7  Food Matters

When it comes to health, Dr. Elsey promotes canned food. This will dramatically increase the amount of water a cat gets each day and in turn can cut back on the incidence of urinary issues. …which can also lead to trouble at the litter box.

About Dr. Elsey

Dr. Bruce Elsey has been a feline only veterinarian for over 30 years and his practice cares for over 8,000 cats. While attending a conference in college, he was inspired by a veterinarian who had a unique cat-only practice. At the time, there were only 13 cat practices in the entire country. In 1978, he opened his first cat-only practice in Denver, CO. He felt it was impotent to focus his skills on one species as a way to become truly knowledgeable. 

Dr. Elsey is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, American Veterinary Medical Association and the Denver Veterinary Medical Association.

COMING SOON!

Waffles and I are going to have an opportunity to try out Precious Cat's Cat Attract litter formula over the course of the next month. We'll be sharing the results of our testing and hosting a cool giveaway, so stay tuned!

Find Dr. Elsey and #PreciousCat on the WEB.
Like them on FACEBOOK too!

This post is sponsored by Precious Cat on behalf of the BlogPaws Blogger Network. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about Precious Cat's Cat Attract formula, but GLOGIRLY only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Precious Cat is not responsible for the content of this article.

Shower Caddy Terror

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Now that I'm back in the blogging game again, one thing is for certain. I have much to say.

So many grievances. So many challenges. So many intruders, annoyances and infractions against me and my domain. Glogirly began her new job back in May. To say she travels (a.k.a. abandons me) is an understatement. If it weren't for my resourcefulness and resolve, Cod only knows what would have come of me. There are simply too many harrowing events that have occurred during the last few months to list. But I simply cannot keep quiet about the incident I choose to call "Shower Caddy Terror."

First, a little background. I have my own bathroom. It's tastefully decorated and appointed with all the necessary amenities.

My Bathroom

Glogirly converted a walk-in shower into a lovely little stall for my litter box. The curtain provides privacy while I take care of my daily "needs." She has covered the drain so as to not create any litter clogs. The shower enclosure allows me to dig with fervor yet avoid spraying the entire bathroom with litter. She says clean up is much easier for her. I say she should clean up a bit more often. But that's a whole other story.

The Caddy

In an effort to have a place for everything and everything in its place, Glogirly hung a shower caddy inside my enclosure to house my litter essentials. Ziplocks & garbage bags. Paper towels, Dawn & Windex. Air freshener & my scoop.

Those of you that have read my most recent blog post know that the townhouse is currently under siege. Construction, scaffolding, and men with tool belts slinging sledge hammers into the side of our home all the live long day. Often, the pounding was so hard, the whole townhouse shook. I'll give you one guess what happened to the above mentioned shower caddy. That's right. It flew off the shower head and landed right on top of my box. Blocked the whole thing.

Exhibit A: Pre Trauma

Exhibit B: Post Trauma

Glogirly was off in Idaho someplace. Gloman was home but oblivious.

For what seemed like a month, I was forced to do my business whilst balancing my little kitty feet atop the metal rungs of the shower caddy. I had to do #1 AND #2 right through the metal grate. And I couldn't even reach my litter to bury. How embarrassing is THAT!

It was Gloman that finally discovered my plight. I could tell he was biting his lip to keep from laughing though. I heard him on the phone with Glogirly too. There were a couple awhhhh's, then laughing and cackling. I'd like to see THEM balance barefoot on top of the equivelant of a chain link fence while squatting over THEIR toilet!

Fortunately Gloman did eventually come to my rescue...but only after much inappropriate laughter.

I have questions, many questions.

What if I had been IN my box when this whole thing came down? What then? Would they have found me dead under a shower caddy? Buried in my own...? How would the obituary read? What would be engraved in my headstone? I'd be an embarrassment to cats across the globe.

Beware Of The Evil Shower Caddy