Keep Your Cat Happy With These Tips

Since Clear the Air has dedicated May to “Cat Month”, we would like to share some easy helpful tips to make sure your indoor cat has all she needs.

It doesn’t take much to make your furry feline a happy camper but it is important to make sure you are providing her with all she needs to make her, and you, happy!

Remember our Cat Urine Odor Eliminator is now available at PETCO.  Also, send in your Cutest Cat Photo to win 2 FREE CANISTERS of our Odor Eliminator.  You can email them to YourCommunityPathway@gmail.com or you can post them on Facebook.  In order to make your cat’s home an enjoyable and comfortable one, make sure you have the following:

Personal Space – Like all cat lovers know, cats are very independent animals. They enjoy hiding under, on top, and/or inside of many locations in the home. They are very curious creatures. A great way to give your cat the space it needs is by getting him or her a perch. A perch will allow them to elevate themselves from the ground level and observe from above. They will feel safe and secure while enjoying their surroundings. Perches are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you can even attach them to a windowsill so your cat can get a better view of the outside.

A Bed – Cats are most vulnerable when they are sleeping, so it’s important to provide them with a quiet and secure resting place. For those who prefer that their cat stay off beds and other furniture, providing your cat with a comfortable resting place in a quiet part of the house is the best alternative. This area, however, must be in a place where necessities like food, water, and litter box, are still accessible. Cat beds can be purchased, or a snug blanket or towel will work just fine. Remember, just like you, cats don’t like being disturbed while they sleep.

Scratching/Climbing Post – Cats scratch as a way to stretch their muscles, shed old cuticle, sharpen their claws, and leave scent marks. Providing your cat with something to scratch will not only keep them happy, but it will save your furniture. When figuring out where to place a scratching post it’s important to keep in mind where your cat typically likes to scratch. You can place the post near this area in order to keep your cat from scratching that particular object. Keep the scratching post in close proximity to daily necessities and try not to move the post. If you do move it, try to move it as gradually as possible. Lastly, trim the sharp tips of your cat’s nails or purchase nail caps to reduce damage from scratching.

Litter Box – Cats use elimination as a way to mark their territory. So, in order to keep them from eliminating all over your house, it’s important to provide them an attractive litter box. First, cats appreciate a clean litter box. So, if you do not regularly clean out their litter box, they will most likely find a cleaner spot which may end up being somewhere in your house. Second, cats prefer a large uncovered litter box. This gives them a large space to move around and stand up straight. Third, most cats prefer fine-grained, unscented litter. Most cats are turned off by a scented litter. Lastly, the litter box should be placed in a quiet, secure and accessible place. This ensures the cat privacy, and eliminates other animals or people sneaking up on it. The “golden rule” is one litter box per cat, plus one. So for those with multiple cats, and/or multiple levels in your house, it is important to have multiple boxes on each level. Remember to also always add Clear the Air Cat Odor Eliminator to the litter box to reduce odors.

Toys – Although indoor cats don’t have to hunt for their food, they still have the urge to pounce. Toys are extremely important to the health and happiness of your cat. Something as simple as a ball to roll around or a stick with a string and a toy attached can amuse an indoor cat for hours. Taking a more realistic approach, you can give your cat a fake mouse that moves or makes noise.

It isn’t difficult to keep you indoor cat healthy and happy. All it takes is providing your cat with privacy, a comfortable place to sleep, something to scratch, an appropriate litter box, and most importantly, toys! Keeping your cat happy and healthy will not only increase their happiness, but yours as well.

Cat Anatomy Facts

Cool Cat Anatomy Facts brought to you by Clear the Air!

Remember PETCO now carries our Cat Urine Odor Eliminator at all their stores.  Stop in to pick some up!

• Cats can’t taste sweets.
• The cat’s front paw has 5 toes, but the back paws have 4. Some cats are born with as many as 7 front toes and extra back toes (polydactl).
• A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
• Neutering a cat extends it’s life span by two or three years

• A cat’s tongue consists of small “hooks,” which come in handy when tearing up food
• Cats must have fat in their diet because they can’t produce it on their own.
• Cat’s urine glows under a black light.
• Cats have a third eyelid called a haw and you will probably only see it when kitty isn’t feeling well.
• A cat sees about six times better than a human at night because of a layer of extra reflecting cells which absorb light.
• Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day
• Cats are the only animal that walk on their claws, not the pads of their feet.
• Newborn kittens have closed ear canals that don’t begin to open for nine days.
• A kittens eyes are always blue at first
• A cat cannot see directly under its nose.
• It is a common belief that cats are color blind. However, recent studies have shown that cats can see blue, green and red
• Cats with white fur and skin on their ears are very prone to sunburn.
• Siamese kittens are born white.
• A cat’s jaws cannot move sideways.
• Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
• A cat can jump even seven times as high as it is tall.
• A cat is pregnant for about 58-65 days.
• A cat may have three to seven kittens every four months
• Cats step with both left legs, then both right legs when they walk or run. The only other animals to do this are the giraffe and the camel
• If a male cat is both orange and black it is most likely sterile
• The color of the points in Siamese cats is heat related. Cool areas are darker
• Cats lack a true collarbone. Because of this, a cat can generally squeeze their bodies through any space they can get their heads through.
• There are tiny, parasitic worms that can live in a cat’s stomach. These worms cause frequent vomiting.
• A cat’s brain is more similar to a man’s brain than that of a dog.
• A cat has more bones than a human; humans have 206, the cat has 230.
• Cats have 30 vertebrae–5 more than humans have.
• Cat have 500 skeletal muscles (humans have 650).
• A cat can rotate its ears independently 180 degrees, and can turn in the direction of sound 10 times faster than those of the best watchdog
• Cats’ hearing is much more sensitive than humans and dogs.
• Cats’ hearing stops at 65 khz (kilohertz); humans’ hearing stops at 20 khz.
• In relation to their body size, cats have the largest eyes of any mammal.
• A cat’s field of vision is about 185 degrees.
• Blue-eyed, white cats are often deaf.

Do you have any other cool cat facts?  Share them with us on our blog!

Kitty Litter Odor Bringing You Down? Learn How To Never Have To Smell It Again!

Your kitty litter box shouldn’t be a battle and Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to keeping an odor free litter box.

Follow these steps to an odor free litter box and home:

Scooping – The number one rule, and the only thing that will keep litter box odor at bay, is constant cleaning. That means scooping the box out at least twice a day, removing the solids and liquid clumps if you use clumping litter.  If you don’t use clumping litter, you can use a large solid metal spoon to lift out the most urine-soaked areas each time you clean and add litter as needed to replace what is removed.

Washing Your Litter Box – You should also get in the habit of washing the litter box at least every other week if not more.  Use a mild unscented dish detergent and rinse clean.  Remember to clean your scooper too.  When the box is dry, sprinkle a thin layer of our Cat Urine Odor Eliminator in the box first.  Then add two to three inches of litter.  Cats do not like a deep tray of litter and this allows you to add litter as you scoop.

Type of Litter – Some have perfumes and others have additives to only cover the smell.  To a cat, these smells can be overwhelming and make the box unwelcoming.  It is usually a good idea to get unscented litter and sprinkle our Cat Urine Odor Eliminator in the box to eliminate the odor, not cover it up.

Type of Litter Box – Using the largest box your home can accommodate is the best idea.  A good rule of thumb is to get a box that is at least twice as long as your adult cat and wide as the cat is long.  Even though a covered box is nicer to look at, most cats don’t like them and they also trap odors inside making it unpleasant for your pet to enter.  Cats claws can get stuck in liners when they are digging for a place to relieve themselves and the urine can also seep into the liner, trapping odors in the box.

Location – Lastly, location of your cats litter box is very important to keep your pet happy to relieve himself in the correct areas.  The rule is one litter box per cat plus one.  If your cat is on the third floor of your house and the litter box is in the basement, he may not decide to make the long trek.  It is important to have the boxes in different locations.  Also make sure the box is in a low traffic area, away from his or her food and in a place that your cat can easily get in and out of.

These suggestions may take a lot of effort but not only with your cat be happier but you will as well, not having to put up with cat urine odors.    Remember to pick up Clear the Air’s Cat Urine Odor Eliminator available at all Petco stores or online.