Looking for eco-friendly holiday gifts for your cat? This list has 10 natural, biodegradable products to delight your furry friend this season, like catnip toys and scratching posts.

Is your cat’s coat dull? Hairballs galore? Don’t worry - in this article, we’ll outline everything you need to know about keeping your cat's coat healthy!

The battle between paper and plastic packaging is ongoing, but for eco-conscious consumers, paper often comes out on top. Here are seven compelling reasons why you should consider opting for paper packaging for your cat litter.    1. Environmentally Friendly:    - Paper is biodegradable and compostable, making it a sustainable choice.    - Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, contributing to environmental pollution.   2. Reduced Plastic Pollution:    - Choosing paper helps reduce the demand for single-use plastics.    - Plastic waste, especially in the oceans, poses a significant threat to marine life and ecosystems  3. Renewable Resource:    - Paper is made from trees, which can be replanted and harvested sustainably, and so is okocat natural litter!    - Plastic production relies on fossil fuels, a finite and environmentally damaging resource.  4. Energy Efficiency:    - The production of paper packaging consumes less energy compared to plastic.    - Lower energy consumption results in a smaller carbon footprint.  5. Recycling Ease:    - Paper is highly recyclable and widely accepted in recycling programs.    - Plastic recycling is more complex, and not all types are equally recyclable.  6. Versatility:    - Paper packaging can be adapted for various products, from food to cosmetics and more.    - Plastic packaging often faces limitations due to its non-biodegradable nature  7. Aesthetic Appeal:    - Paper packaging offers a natural, rustic, and eco-friendly appearance.    - Many consumers are drawn to the eco-conscious image conveyed by paper packaging.  In summary, choosing paper packaging over plastic is a small but impactful step toward a more sustainable future. It reduces plastic pollution, encourages the use of renewable resources, and supports energy-efficient production methods. Moreover, it's easy to recycle and offers versatility, making it a practical choice for a wide range of products such as natural cat litter. So, next time you're faced with a packaging choice, consider the positive impact of paper packaging on the environment and make the eco-friendly choice.  

One has to have a heart of stone not to fall in love with a kitten. My first cat came into my life when I was seven years old. Minky was a tri-colored farm cat. We fed our cats milk, which they shared with a nocturnal hedgehog family that lived in our shoe closet. How we look after young kittens and adult cats has changed drastically. We’ve learned so much about kitten nutrition, good hygiene, and health. Kittens provide a lifetime of companionship and contribute to our well-being. Here’s what you should know if you decide to make a kitten part of the family. Crucial Factors to Consider Before Bringing a Kitten Home Kittens are easier than puppies. True. However, that doesn’t mean that choosing a kitten is easy sailing. Kittens need the following: Balanced nutrition (solid food, canned or wet meat protein kitten food) Feed-free feeding or a controlled feeding style; it works for most kittens Safe drinking water Veterinarian access to checkups and vaccination Sanitation access to litter Love and affection Undivided attention Basic understanding of feline needs In return, you’ll get to watch them grow rapidly into loving, playful cats.   Ultimate Guide to Kitten Care Here are a few tips to get you going: Make your home kitten friendly Cats and kittens tend to be curious and playful. Therefore, ordinary household objects can be harmful. Remove and store these items: Fragile items that your new kitten might knock over Remove and safely secure household chemicals, alcohol, perfumes Store delicate fabrics to prevent clawing Read up on house plants as some are poisonous Put up barriers to prevent escaping Have a cat bed Prepare a sanitation station litter box Have suitable clean water and feeding bowls Bring kitten necessities Kittens and cats have basic needs. You can save on toys by providing safe household items to play with, like cardboard boxes, paper rolls, and strings to entertain a kitten. But you can’t scrimp on proper nutrition and veterinarian health care facilities. These are the must-haves: Age-appropriate food fit for a cat or kitten's diet that is low on plant-based sources Access to clean drinking water A litter box or device A cat bed (though the kitten will more than likely make do with a sunny spot or your lap) Some toys Caring for a kitten (we hope you opted for one from an animal shelter) takes time. Luckily, there is a bunch of new tech gadgets for pet owners that provide convenience, peace of mind, and enhanced care for pets. According to World Animal Foundation, an automated litter box is one such device that offers several benefits for both cats and their owners. It saves time and effort by automatically scooping and disposing of waste, ensuring a clean litter box environment. Find a vet Being a pet owner means having a good rapport with veterinarians and their staff. A vet should make you and your feline comfortable and answer your questions and concerns. A vet not only provides basic health care like: Routine physical health checks Vaccinations Microchipping Flea and tick remedies Grooming advice Veterinarians are also an excellent resource to help you decide on a diet for your kitten and tips on understanding the complicated nuances of feline parenting. Start following a proper hygiene routine When your kitten enters your home, introduce them to the litter box. Cats are super easy to train, but you must provide the resources. Kittens take quickly to automated litter boxes, and it’s the perfect time to introduce them. Automated litter devices make your life easier. Here are some litter options: Clumping and non-clumping Wood Paper Clay Pine Wheat Grass Corn Walnut shell Hygiene isn’t just about litter. It’s also about grooming, getting the kitten used to your touch, and handling its ears, toes, nails, and all parts of its body. Caressing your cat is therapeutic for both of you. Don’t overlook the socialization thing Cats get pigeonholed as solitary creatures. They need socialization and contact with others at different stages of their life. You can introduce a kitten to your neighbors, friends, and the family dog. When you bring a kitten into a pet family, the introduction should be slow. Have a plan. Train your Kitten Cats are trainable despite what dog people say. A cat learns its name, and I suggest sticking to a simple two-syllable name. Repeat the name but don’t overuse it. Basic obedience training Cats respond well to methods like clicker training, positive reinforcement, and auditory markers to initiate your cat to words like ‘good cat,’ ‘yes or no,’ and other positive commands followed with affection. Set these conditions for training: The cat is awake and engaged Limit training to 1 to 5 minutes only Reward with treats or praise Repeat but don’t overwhelm the cat Train before supper but never withhold food Teach one skill Litter training Many pet parents can appreciate how easy it is to litter train a kitten. Provide a safe, accessible, yet private place for the litter box or automatic device that the kitten can access freely. Keep it away from noisy or high-traffic areas. Once you introduce a kitten to the area and box, they’ll remember. Tip: Keep the litter box tidy. It’s unhygienic for the entire family.   Mental Stimulation Needs and Exercise Cats are good at entertaining themselves with their tail. But here is what you can do to make life fun for your furry friend. Engage your kitty in puzzle games Puzzle games are a beneficial activity for cats. It provides mental and physical stimulation and echoes a feline’s natural hunting and stalking instinct. Further, it’s a great way to exercise a cat. Cat obesity is rising and leads to many health and joint issues. Puzzles make them work for their food. Play hide-and-seek Cats are natural game players. Hide and seek comes naturally to them, and don’t be surprised if they lurk behind furniture to pounce on you and yell 'Surprise!' Engaging cats and kittens in hide-and-seek can work both ways: they hide and you seek, or you hide and they seek. You can get their attention by calling their name or rattling their favorite toy or snack. Daily walk and exercise Harnessing and walking cats has become a popular activity. Training a kitten to a harness is easier than asking a senior cat. A senior cat will likely convey their discontent through body language. Train a kitten to walk in a harness by: Starting at a young age Getting a proper and secure harness that is escape proof Building a routine Making it fun Health Checkups This is the most expensive part of cat ownership. Though most cats are healthy and only require essential medical attention, there are a few musts. Vaccinations Protect your cat from diseases by keeping their vaccinations current, even if they're house cats. Animal healthcare professionals define vaccines as core and lifestyle vaccines. Core vaccines and lifestyle vaccines are routinely administered starting at 6 to 8 weeks. Some shots are also required by law. FVRCP Rabies FeLV Spaying/neutering Sadly, our shelters are full of loving cats. In the US alone, we have roughly 58.3 million pet cats and 30 to 80 million feral cats. Repeat this worldwide. Please spay and neuter your cat and consider rescuing it from your local shelter. Spaying and neutering not only protect from overpopulation but also promotes animal health. Tip: A spayed and neutered cat will not spray your bedding or soft furnishings with urine. No amount of cleaning or disinfecting will get rid of this odor completely. Grooming Needs Cats are famous for grooming themselves and have flexible and compression ribcages to reach tough spots. Brushing Helping your cat by brushing its fur promotes bonding and a healthy, shiny coat and removes excess fur. Start brushing your kitten to get used to the habit. They may make a game of capturing the brush. Bathing Good luck! Leave bathing cats to professionals. Cats don’t need to be bathed; they can swim but are not fussed about getting wet. Exceptions, of course, exist, and cats like to make liars out of us. Oral and dental care A healthy diet with crunchy food to help clean teeth is a good start, but cats can also develop tartar and gum disease. We recommend that kittens get used to having their teeth brushed; after all, all the cleaning they do with their cat tongues invites bacteria. Ask your vet how to establish a routine. Conclusion Nutrition, health, and hygiene are the foundation of kitten and cat parenthood. When you bring a kitten home, you promise to commit to its lifetime with love, patience, and ongoing care. Don’t forget to take advantage of the hundreds of valuable tips from vetted organizations.    

Facebook @briochepig Hello carefresh friends! In this blog we will look into the senses of the guinea pig and address many popular questions about them.  One of the most popular topics about the senses of a guinea pig is their eyesight. There are a few opinions that contradict others in this area, but for the purposes of this blog, I will use the most agreed upon information among studies.  >>> READ MY FIRST BLOG POST ABOUT GUINEA PIGS  Can guinea pigs see colors?  Guinea pigs have been found by scientists studying their eyes to be dichromatic, that is they see two of the three primary colors. They are able to detect yellow, blue, and hues associated with them. It is likely that the colors they see are less vivid than the color we see.  How well do they see?  Overall a guinea pig does not have great eyesight, but they have some really interesting abilities that help protect them in the wild and those have been passed down through the centuries to our friendly friends today.   Guinea pigs can see an amazing 340° around them. For example, using both eyes, we humans can only see 180° around us. The guinea pig eyesight range is perfect to react to any predators. The 340° vision is also what allows them to quickly react to any object coming toward them without moving their head. That helps account for their super quick reaction times.  But Guinea pigs can only detect what an object actually is from roughly 12-16 inches away (30-38 cm). And they can only see movement/objects from a distance of 5-6 feet (1.5 metres). But at that distance, it is very hard to make out what the object might be. Guinea pigs also have very weak depth perception. This is important to know because if you have them on a bed or chair, they can't recognize how high up they are which could result in them feeling it is safe to jump off when it is not.  Can my piggy see in the dark?    The short answer is, maybe. There isn't a definitive answer to this, but scientists believe they can have a mental map of their surroundings and when combined with their sense of smell and whisker sensors, they can zip around in the dark without crashing into things!!!  How well does my guinea pig hear?  Guinea pig hearing is much better than humans. They can hear in lower, and especially higher, frequencies than we do. Their hearing ability helps make up for their relatively poor eyesight. This is one of the reasons you can, for example, try to quietly open the refrigerator and your guinea pigs might start wheeking thinking a treat is on the way! Your guinea pig can also distinguish your individual voice! However their sensitive hearing also means that they are not a fan of loud noises or bangs, such as fireworks.   Are those whiskers just there for cuteness?  Whiskers on a guinea pig act in very similar ways to other animals. Loaded with nerve endings in them, they are used to measure the width of tunnels and objects. Basically, if the whiskers fit, the piggy will fit. They can also use them to measure the size and depth of an object right in front of them (think lettuce!). They also act as a warning for any object approaching the eye so they may protect it.  Can my guinea pig actually tell who I am compared to others?  Guinea pigs have an amazing sense of smell. Since their eyesight isn't good at detecting predators in the wild, their sense of smell, along with hearing, helps make up for those deficiencies. So the answer to the question concerning if they can recognize you specifically, yes they can! You may see an example of this when you have a visitor over and they approach the guinea pig’s habitat to say ”hi”, the piggy most likely takes off and hides, but they won't do that with you. They know who you are by your smell and know that there is no threat to them and recognize you as a friend!  How well do things taste?  The taste buds of a guinea pig's tongue are highly developed and as such taste flavors well. Naturally they prefer foods more to the sweet side, but over time get to accept slightly less sweet/ bitter tastes. Of course, like humans, some piggies will like one thing while their friends may not. The sensitive taste buds also help determine if a new food is acceptable when their nose and whiskers don't convince them. You may have seen this when introducing a new food and you will see them sniff it and then slowly give it a lick or quick taste. If they don't like it they will often let it fall out of their mouth or will finish what they took, but not eat any more of it.  Hopefully this basic overview of a guinea pig’s senses, and how they work together, will help you understand and appreciate your guinea pigs more than ever! Guest Post by Craig N. - long time Guinea Pig parent, currently of Bentley and Cosmo (pictured above), and they invite you to follow their antics @ https://www.facebook.com/briochepig  Until next time….