DIY wood pellet litter box

Now that I found my perfect litter (wood burning pellets).  I knew I needed an appropriate litter box to match.

Feline Pine makes a litter box designed for wood pellets which I would love to try. But I was eager to start right away with my new litter system so I made a DIY version.

Stylish Scratching Posts

 Multifunctional Scratching Posts

Scratching is an instinctive need for cats. All cats must be provided with areas to scratch. Except for maybe those who are declawed *poor kitties*. When I first got my cat I was nervous he was going to scratch my 30 year old vintage emerald green velvet sofa that I just adore. So I researched different scratching posts. I live in a smallish typical European apartment so its not like I could put a big ugly tree scratching area in my basement. And I know cats want to scratch in socially significant areas. I knew I did not want an ugly obtrusive scratching post in my home. I found some beautiful inspiration for scratching posts on places like HausPanther but the ones I liked were very expensive.

The search for the BEST Eco-friendly Cat Litter!

Over the years I've used them all. Clumping, non-clumping, scented, unscented, multi-cat, crystals, the list goes on and on.

Crystal Litter does sound attractive - It looks nice, it absorbs liquids quickly. You need less of it than Clay. The downside is that it is more expensive, can pose health risks if ingested, some cats do not like walking on it and like clay litters is not good for the environment.

But overall Clay clumping litters seem to be the most popular form of cat litter. Due to the following reasons:

1. Most conveniently available
2. It's cheap
3. It has decent performance and cats will use it
4. Most owners are unaware of the dangers both to the cat and the environment.

I personally do not like using clay litter because the dust, smell, tracking, potential health risks but most importantly for environmental reasons.

Clay based litter must be mined and in the US 2.54 million tons of clay are mined each year. The process of mining creates has many environmental impacts. Then there is the disposal of this litter each year. Clay litter will sit in the landfill for an entirety as it is non-deogradable. It is estimated that about 4 million tons of clay litter enter US landfills each year.

Top Brushes for Long Haired Cats

The beautiful Persian coat that I adore so much.  Maintaining this coat is the most demanding job of owning a Persian. It is essential to consistently groom this cat and having the right tools makes it much easier. Below is a list of the top most essential brushes to keep your cat's coat healthy and beautiful.

1. Steel Pet Comb (often called Greyhound comb or flea comb)

This is essential and what I reach for the most.  This is needed to comb through the thick undercoat which is at the root of the hair. Mats begin at the root so brushing only the topcoat will not prevent mats. I use this after meal times to clean out my cat's mane. Also great to use regularly in the problem areas such as behind the ears and under the front legs. The comb I have linked above is an all metal brush with two different thickness at each end which I think would be more useful than mine pictured below. Again this is my number one most important brush.