I haven’t written about the Farm cats for a bit so I thought I’d bring everyone up to date. There have been several changes in the last year. This post on environmentally friendly cat litter is brought to you from Catalyst cat litter.
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Environmentally Friendly Cat Litter
We try around the yurt to do things as Earth friendly as we can. I’m not going to sit here and say we are experts or perfect at recycling – ’cause we are not – nor are we 100% there with everything we can do but we are trying. We put in the air source heat pump to lower our dependence on fossil fuels and on the small changes side I have switched to reusable containers for when I put up fruit in the freezer and we use cloth napkins instead of paper to name a couple.
Another change that can be made is switching to cat litter made from wood waste instead of clay. Clay is mined in a manner that is harmful to the environment. Catalyst Cat Litter is an upcycled product that uses bits of wood that would ordinarily be sent to the landfill. Instead it’s made into a lightweight, clumping litter that smells pleasant and is soft on cats’ feet.
I like that it’s lighter – one pound of Catalyst will do the job of three pounds of clay litter – because there has been much change around the Farm regarding cats. If you follow my Instagram page you know all about it but if you don’t read on for all of the new cat news. After I’ll share about their experience with the new Catalyst litter and a fantastic iniative from the company.
New Farm Cats!
Laat year was a tough year we lost both Stinky the Farm Cat and Pumpkin the Farm Cat. Both of them were older and slowing down and each let me know in her/his own way that it was time to let them go.
It was also a year of learning as we welcomed Cappuccino the bunny into the house. I thought we were pretty settled into being a 2 cat/1 bunny household.
There has always been a steady stream of feral cats that have come up on the deck for a meal so I always keep out a bowl of cat kibble and if I actually see the kitty(ies) I will put out wet food. Then suddenly among the older cats visiting there were kittens. We knew with kittens visiting there would only be more kittens as they matured so I slowly worked with them to get them used to me and I was able to grab the two kittens and one older grey cat. I think he’s the father but I am not sure. The hubby took them to the vet and got them fixed (two boys, one girl) and now they have moved in.
Fang and Queenie the Farm Cats
Fang is a grey tuxie cat. He got his name because he escaped from his cat carrier in the car and in trying to get him out from under the seat he bit the hubby pretty hard. Queenie is a dainty, little house panther. They have become inside only cats without much problem. Both have gone from being feral cats to pampered pets in very short order. I wouldn’t call either one of them affectionate but Fang will come up a couple of times a day to be pet and Queenie will sit next to me now and again. Given a little more time, I figure they will both become little lovebugs.
Puffball the Farm Cat
Puffball is older than Fang and Queenie. I suspect he is their father but I don’t know for sure. He is very standoffish and will allow the occasional pet to the head but that is it. He goes in and out like Harry and Sherpa but he is very happy to come in every night to sleep on top of Cappuccino’s bunny cage.
Cat/Rabbit Relations
So far everyone is pretty much getting along. Once in a while Fang will chase Cappuccino and try and take over Cappuccino’s sleeping spot. The bunny was pretty tolerant but he finally had enough and the other day he charged Fang, growled and then bit him. Yes, bunnies growl – very loudly. It’s rather impressive. Fang is letting Cappuccino have his space now. They have figured out their place in the yurt.
I don’t think Cappuccino likes being outnumbered but since he is the only bunny that does make him special. At first he wasn’t sure about all of the new cats but he has asserted himself and they know he can kick and bite for that matter. Now all seems fine.
Five Cats = Much More Cat Litter
Obviously with three more cats in the house I am using more litter than with two cats. I went from two litter boxes to five. Catalyst has three different formulas; Healthy Cat, Multi Cat and Unscented. I was sent, with no great surprise, Multi Cat Formula. To get the cats used to it, I slowly mixed it with their existing litter and there were no issues with the transition. I do like the smell of the Catalyst Cat Litter – it smells like wood chips and that is very pleasant.
It looks like teeny, tiny wood chips and I am not finding that it tracks any worse than regular litter. I will note that the clumps aren’t as strong as clay litter but that is not a big deal. The clumps are easy to scoop out. The company also offers a monthly service:
- Catalyst also offers a simple subscription service that removes one more chore off the
list. For $20 per month, Catalyst ships a 10-pound bag right to a pet parent’s front
door—the recommended amount for one cat for 30 days. “We wanted to make it as
easy as possible for cat lovers to make the right choice for their pet and the planet,”
adds Levine. For those who do not prefer subscription services, Catalyst is also making
its way to leading retailers store shelves nationwide.
You can find the right litter for your cat at Catalyst Pet.
Great Environmental News!
Catalyst is not only a sustainable cat litter, the company is committed to further working on the plastic problem:
- We have a new partnership with rePurpose Global, which means every online purchase of Catalyst Pet will now carry a net zero plastic footprint. In addition to reducing our plastic use wherever possible, we’re offsetting any plastic we do use by funding work to reduce plastic waste worldwide. For every product we sell online that uses plastic packaging, we donate a percentage toward collecting and reusing one ocean-bound plastic pouch. This partnership with rePurpose Global allows us to fund cutting-edge recycling, support ethical wages for the people who do this work in India, and reduce the amount of plastic waste going to landfills and waterways.
Isn’t that wonderful and amazing?! As we all know plastics are some of the biggest problems facing the environment right now. I love that the company is forward thinking in this area.
If you have any questions you can go to catalystpet.com
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