I can't believe it's nearly been a month since I last posted! I've been really busy lately, and alas, all this doing of things means I have no spare money for catification. So, I thought a quick post on cat enrichment you can do on the cheap may be timely. Boxes. Any cat owner knows that the cat tends to like the box a thing came in more than the thing. I try to get rid of boxes relatively quickly as Opal and Mica are the sort to chew on them and spit cardboard every where, but I keep the sturdy boxes their Blink pouches come in and fill them with toys for them to fish out. If you're the creative sort, and you don't have spitters, you could make a massive box fort by carving them, cutting out additional holes and taping them together. Paper bag. Opal's the bag cat in our house. She'll shove herself into anything she can, including the paper that goes around beer cans. Paper bags are safer than plastic bags, but still keep an eye on kitty during play so they ...

Following on from my previous blog, today I am reviewing accessories for the SureFeed dispenser from a 3D printing company based in Germany named SLOFE3D. A while back I was looking for a slow feeder as Mica eats so quickly he sometimes makes himself sick. I got a silicone one that sticks into an existing bowl and despite checking the measurements, failed to consider the thickness. The lid of the SureFeed dispenser wouldn't fit over it! Luckily, SLOFE3D make slow feed bowls that fit the SureFeed dispenser. They also make those name labels I mentioned in my last blog, mats in other colours, lids, split bowls, adjustable stands and my personal favourite, a cover bar. I ordered a slow feed bowl, a cover bar and two lids. Everything feels good quality and substantial. I've been using the slow feed bowl since I got it and it really has slowed Mica down. He doesn't seem bothered that he can no longer scarf his food- he actually seems to appreciate the challenge. As you can imagin...

One of the first expensive purchases I had to make after getting Mica and Opal was the SureFeed food dispenser. Foolish me had never had more than one cat at a time before and was completely oblivious to the problems that can occur around feeding times. I soon found out that Mica is utterly obsessed with food. I assure you I am not starving him. He is, after all, a bit overweight. Whether I'm preparing cat food or eating my own dinner, he is there, screeching at me to give him the tasty things. So it probably won't come as much surprise that he scarfs his own food and then boots Opal away from her own bowl. Opal is also enthusiastic about food but not nearly as much as Mica. If you gave her a roast dinner then she would hiss and bat Mica away, but anything else she's usually less fussed about and she'll give in to him. I do wonder at times whether this may be the reason she's barely grown in comparison to Mica (no vet concerns mind you- she too has an overly large t...

Following on from last week's review, you already know we gave up on the cat fencing and got a catio instead. Installing the catio was only half the battle though. We then had to figure out a way of giving the cats independent access to it. Don't get me wrong- I think even a stand alone catio is a great idea. But we all know cats like to make their own decisions, and taking them in and out of the catio multiple times a day can be an added stress you don't need. We had several months of this and it was a two person job carrying them both with a constant worry that they'd run out whilst the catio door was open. I'd frequently be late getting them back in on a busy work day, and I felt awful about the times they were frightened inside the catio and had to wait for me to get them out (a sudden hail storm and the sounds of a nearby wood chipper respectively). If you're lucky, you can simply get a three sided catio and attach it to your back door. Unfortunately for us...

Giving our cats safe access to the outdoors has not been an easy feat. It was considerably easier with our previous cat Mali. Given she was a senior cat when we got her, we figured she must be pretty street wise and got a cat flap installed so she had free access to the outside. As it turned out, she couldn't actually climb the fences due to her arthritis so she was safely contained to our garden. She escaped out the front door literally once, was quickly retrieved, and cottoned on immediately that the front garden was a no-no. I could have a food shop delivered with Mali contentedly watching from her bed and the delivery driver commenting on what a good cat that is. Literally the only thing we had to worry about was getting her in come night time, as otherwise she would patrol the garden and screech whenever she caught a neighbour cat getting too close to her territory, waking us up! Foolishly I wasn't too concerned when we first got Mica and Opal, as they were initially terri...

We're currently going throu gh a heat wave in the UK and it's expected to be 40 degrees tomorrow! I don't think it's ever been that hot i n my lifetime. When you're feeling the heat, spare a thought for your moggies who can't take their fur co ats off (unless you have a sphynx of course). Here's a few tips for keeping your cats cool and safe in hot weather. Give them a thorough grooming session to remove as much loose fur as possible. Keep curtains drawn and windows closed during the day. If opening windows in the evening, make sure your cat can't fall out or escape. I use pet window screens but you still need to be in the room supervising them as they can easily rip it off. Ensure there is plenty of water available in various locations. You can also add ice cubes. * Turn on a fan, but don't aim it directly at your cat. Put out a pet cooling mat . Alternatively, you can use a damp towel or wrap a towel around an ice pack or frozen water bottle. Make...