Product reviews

ProtectaPet Release New DIY Balcony Kit

* Originally published by ProtectaPet

The ProtectaPet Cat Balcony Kit enables apartment-dwelling cat owners to provide safe, supervised, outdoor access for their cat.

International cat fencing specialist, ProtectaPet, has launched its latest product in the modular range of cat fencing products – the ProtectaPet Cat Balcony Kit – a unique way of keeping cats safe on balconies.

The risk of cats falling from balconies is highly publicised. Animal welfare charity, the Blue Cross, appealed to cat owners to keep cats safe around elevated open windows and balconies after two cat fatalities and five cat injuries were treated one summer weekend at their Victoria animal hospital in 2017. In New York, the term ‘high rise syndrome’ was coined when one hot summer in the 1980s more than 100 cats were brought into a veterinary center with injuries from falls.

For high-rise cat-owners with balconies, the choice has been stark, with most cats kept indoors for their own safety. While thousands of cats in the UK live in apartments, many of them don’t have access to fresh air, with windows and doors being deliberately kept shut to ensure their safety.

Product designer and Managing Director of ProtectaPet, Simon Davies BSc, challenged himself to design a balcony enclosure that was adaptable to different balcony configurations. The clever design allows multiple sections to be joined together inline or at ninety degrees. The modular screen can be used on one sided balconies or expansive balconies with multiple sides. The netting is made from hybrid stainless-steel reinforced nylon for resistance to chewing, while maintaining a low visual impact.

The ProtectaPet Cat Balcony Kit has been in development for three years, having undergone extensive product testing. It is the first Cat Balcony Kit of its kind with ‘no drill’ attachments. This is because most people living in balconies are prohibited from drilling into the masonry or attaching anything permanent to the exterior of the building. Crucially, the innovative new fixtures are secured under tension, enabling owners to easily relocate the balcony enclosure if they move.

Simon says, ‘We are really excited to launch this solution for cat owners’ peace of mind about their cat’s welfare and safety. No more worrying about smelly cat litter trays and keeping the balcony doors shut either! The DIY kit can be installed with a hacksaw, hammer, pliers and scissors, making it accessible to most practical people. It requires two people for installation, and they must undertake a rigorous risk assessment to ensure the safety of themselves and those around them.’

ProtectaPet say that the target market for this new product is cities with high rates of cat ownership in the UK and across all of Europe. They are noticing ‘hot-spots’ of enquiries from places like St Helier in Jersey, presumably because once one cat owner has discovered the product, news spreads and subsequently their cat-owning neighbours are interested. It is designed and made in Britain with ambition for international clientele.

Cat fun, Product reviews

Gus & Bella’s Halloween Box

* Originally written by me for Katzenworld

It’s October and that means it’s time for Gus & Bella’s Spooky Halloween Box! This has to be my absolute favourite of all their themed boxes.

And good news for those of us who are more lazy about trick-or-treating: Gus & Bella have us covered. There’s a super cute and warm pair of black cat slippers, black cat earrings and chocolate. I’m all set for Halloween!

The food in this box is from Arden Grange. I am a big fan of these sample packages of cat food because we all know how fussy cats can be about their food. Sometimes it takes a little while to get them used to new food so you can mix the new with the old. Sample size bags can also help you decide which one your cat likes best or needs (perhaps they have a sensitive tummy or are a little bit overweight). It’s always good to try before you buy.

One thing Dirk tried (and I will definitely have to buy) is the Arden Grange Tasty Liver Treat. Careful, because the claws will come out for this treat! Dirk absolutely loves it.

Now, the best part: the cat toys! Gus & Bella always put much thought into choosing toys for different types of play behaviour. This box contains a cuddle toy, a toy to chase or bat around and a feather wand which is ideal for interactive play and hunting behaviour. Perhaps needless to say they are all Halloween themed.

Some cats have a preferred style of play of type of toys, others like all of them. In any case, it is good to switch toys every now and again because that is more stimulating and will keep your cat entertained for longer. The cuddly toy has Valerian which helps keep cats calm, not a bad idea with Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night coming up!

To get your box or order one for a friend or loved one check out Gus & Bella’s website.

Product reviews, Toys

Dirk the Rocket Cat

* Originally written by me for katzenworld.co.uk

The MelloCat Rocket Roller is one of those toys I wasn’t quite sure of initially. I mean, it looks like a rocket (complete with take-off smoke) which is sort of cool. But rockets and cats?

Once again, Dirk took me by surprise and was immediately taken with this toy.

Rocket-1.1
Give me that, I know it’s for me!

I’m sure you all know what Dirk is going to do with this toy! Yes, that’s right: give it a good kick 😉 And he can be really quite ferocious when kicking it so this is a proper workout for his hind legs. The toy is quite large: he can easily grab hold of one side and then kick the other side of the rocket.

Rocket-2-4

My favourite thing is to send it ‘flying’ through the house so Dirk can go and chase it. He doesn’t really let go of this toy very easily though. I guess he’s happy he’s our only cat because sharing toys would be a serious problem…

Rocket-3
Look at me and my cool rocket! We’re totally going places 🙂
(No, not really Dirk, you just look silly)

The MelloCat Rocket Roller is handmade and it looks amazing. It’s really well made and quite sturdy, it can take a lot of kicks! Cats that love kicking toys and want to look cool doing it: this is your toy 🙂

Rocket-5.1
Going to take a nap now, but don’t even think you can have the rocket back now!

Product reviews

Gus&Bella’s Mother’s Day Box of Love

* Originally written by me for katzenworld.co.uk

Gus&Bella have got a special edition box again, this time for Mother’s Day.

We will be forced to celebrate Mother’s Day socially distanced once again and 2021 seems like the perfect year to surprise every self-confessed Cat Mum, be this your partner, Mum, aunt, sister, cousin, friend, anyone! Just imagine how they would feel to receive such a special and thoughtful gift on Mother’s Day 🙂

I’m pretty sure that if cats could read, write, spend money and send things they would certainly order this box for their Cat Mums (and not solely because there is something in it – quite literally – for them too). But let’s face it, they need a helping hand from a human reading this, so just order it in the cat’s name and everybody will be happy!

As always, this box is full of amazing things for both human and cat (you will definitely skyrocket in the ranking of the cat’s favourite people once they realise it came from you).

Let’s start with the cat goodies first. Inside this box are two toys, food and extremely delicious treats! My cat Dirk kept giving me paw, without me giving the “give paw” signal, that is how much he loves the treats! A always, the 4Cats toy was a big hit as well and the was an interesting Jolly Moggy Ladybird toy. This one will especially appeal to kittens and younger cats, but even oldie Dirk was excited. This is the first toy he aver reacted to as soon as he heard it chirp. Yes, it chirps when you (or your cat) touch it! These sounds are often a bit fake, but this one was really good. It is a high-pitched chirp, just the sound you can imagine ladybirds making, and piqued his interest straight away.

Now on to the gifts for Cat Mums, although anything that makes our cats happy is already a gift in itself. I love the cute card that comes in the box. You don’t even have to write anything inside it, the recipient will automatically know their cat gave them this lovely present. There is a special blend of earl grey tea that smells and tastes amazing.
And there are two gifts that will put a smile on your face for a long time to come. One is a pink, scented, hanging candle especially designed for Gus&Bella. The scent is gorgeous, it really is. It’s called Rose Velvet & Oud and smells very luxurious, yet subtle.
The other is a super cute umbrella. I know spring is coming, we this is the UK after all! You can put this umbrella in your bag, just in case, and take it out as soon as you feel a drop of rain. After all, you’ll want to show it off! It will make you happy it is raining and is sure to put a smile on other people’s faces too.

It really is a feel-good, spring is in the air gift box. Perfect for Mother’s Day!

To order yours or order it for a special Cat Mum in your life, click here.

Cat fun, Product reviews, Toys

Dirk discovers Nyagomidokoro’s fish kicker

If you regularly read my blog then you’ll know I sometimes review cat toys for Katzenworld. I’ve met them at cat shows as well and I know they sell the best cat toys. I wanted to give Dirk a new toy and preferably not a catnip one this time! He has plenty of those 🙂

I came across a Japanese brand, Nyagomidokoro. Their toys look great and they contain matatabi, or silvervine. Dirk has never tried that so I was curious and got him a fish kicker. Any toy that involved vigorous kicking is a hit with Dirk so I was hopeful about this one too.

As pictures are always better than words I’ll just show you how much Dirk likes his new toy. The one thing you can’t see in the pictures is that he was even drooling all over them and the floor!

And in case you are worried about the smell, I find it quite pleasant and not too strong (I like catnip too, but it makes my nose feel a bit itchy when it’s fresh).

If you want to get your cat something new this Christmas, check out the series of Nyagomidokoro toys or any of the other toys in the Katzenworld shop.

You may think Dirk likes all cat toys, but I only write reviews about the ones he likes. I give feedback about the ones he does not like to the manufacturer so they can improve their product. Sometimes it’s simply a case of toys being more suited for kittens than older cats in which case I recommend they add that to their marketing details.