Reviews Archives - Page 6 of 12

PetSafe Cheese Cat Toy Review and Giveaway

Indoor cats need enrichment in their environment to keep their minds sharp and to keep them out of mischief. Since we humans can only wave a wand toy around for so many hours a day, toys that engage cats attention on their own are especially important. That’s why I was excited at the opportunity to review the PetSafe Cheese cat toy.

All right, I’ll admit, I was partly excited about it because it looks like a huge wedge of cheese, and I’m addicted to cheese. There’s now scientific evidence to show that cheese is addictive now, so I can say that. But let’s face it, your cats or mine aren’t likely to recognize that wedge shape as representing cheese. They probably don’t even recognize the little, yellow mice that pop out of the cheese at irregular intervals are supposed to represent mice.

What they do recognize, though, is the prey-like behavior of the little battery-driven mice. (You need 3 AAA batteries to make them go, unlike actual mice.) Just as a cat’s prey might peek out of a hole and then scurry right back inside, the mice from the cheese entice cats to try to catch them. Newton, caught surprise by the behavior of the cheese, was a little startled by them at first.

It didn’t take him long to start to wonder what was hiding inside the hole in that plastic cheese, and he had to take a closer look.

What was really surprising was the length of both Newton and Pierre’s attention spans for the cheese. Newton was interested for nearly half of its five minute runtime, which is a long time for what we jokingly call his attention deficit feline disorder (ADFD) to hold out.

Pierre, on the other hand, can watch for the entire ten minutes, which is is a very attention span for anything not containing food.

He spent the whole ten minutes inching closer until he was nose to nose with the mouse.

Finally, he was ready to catch his prey… only by then, the cheese had stopped.

Pierre: Make it go again!

One of the really neat features about the cheese is that it has a “play while you’re away” mode where the mice will come back on for another cycle in two hours, and again for another cycle after that. Since I suspect the cats sleep all day, it’s nice to know there’s something that will get their attention and have them active during the day, and there’s nothing about the cheese that makes me worry about leaving it for them to play with unattended. It has simple, solid construction, and even if they managed to knock it over, it wouldn’t hurt anything for the mice to continue poking their little, yellow heads out.

One really funny thing happened while testing the “play while you’re away” feature. All three cats were in the kitchen with me, begging shamelessly at the table while I was eating when suddenly all three went running out of the room. They don’t abandon the kitchen table before the food is gone, so this seemed strange. Then I realized I could hear a low, mechanized sound in the living room. The cheese’s timer had gone off and the mice were starting to peek out again. They were so irresistible, the cats had to rush to see them, even though it meant abandoning a chance at snacks from the table. If that isn’t a sign of approval, I don’t know what is!

PetSafe Cheese Cat Toy Giveaway

If your cats would like to try their very own PetSafe Cheese cat toy, PetSafe has sponsored a giveaway. For ways to enter, see the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open to readers in the United States only, and ends Tuesday, November 17th. Winners will be chosen by random drawing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Winners will be notified via e-mail. Prize winner must provide Sometimes Cats Herd You with a physical address to which the prize will be mailed within 72 hours. If this information is not received, an alternate winner will be chosen by random drawing. Winners will be announced in a separate post following the drawing.

FTC Disclosure: We received our PetSafe Cheese cat toy at no charge from PetSafe in exchange for our honest review. Receiving free product did not influence anything we say. All opinions expressed on this site are our own.

Meowbox Review and Discount Code

Monthly subscription boxes have been popular for a while. Beauty products, snacks, even treats for dogs. So it’s only fair that there’s a subscription box just for cats, too, right?

When the Meowbox people reached out to us to ask how if we would like to review their monthly cat subscription box, it sounded like a great chance to check out something new. The idea of having a box full of goodies just for us show up was irresistible.

The experience was different from the start, with an email that arrived to let us know that our Meowbox had shipped. There was even a tracking number that allowed us to check on where the box was every day until it arrived in our mailbox.

The email with a tracking number also had a second, more special, tracking number. Meowbox gives back to shelter cats. For every Meowbox, they give a can of food to a shelter cat, and you can use a tracking code to see whee the status of the can deonated on behalf of your Meowbox.

Meowbox calls this One Box Can, but we just call it heartwarming.

Newton: Enough talk. Cn we open the Meowbox now? I don’t have thumbs, so I can’t do this myself.

Newton: Our box came personalized just for us! The Meowbox humans do this for every box, and it made me feel extra-special. They even drew a heart for us. I love you, too!

I really like the packaging, and I can’t wait to destroy that tissue paper and the feather so lovingly attached to it with a sticker. Can we get past the postcard that lists the good stuff inside and actually see the good stuff now?

Look at all of the fun stuff that came in the box!

Pierre: I get to make the first choice from the Meowbox because I’m the oldest.

Newton: You’re old all right!

Pierre: I’m not THAT old. And I know catnip when I smell it. This irresistible catnip mouse is my favorite. Check out the suede tail on it!

Newton: Well, while you play with that mouse, I’m taking this one.

Newton: This is a Fatty Mouse. Not only does it crinkle, but it’s full of catnip, and it has filling made of recycled water bottles. I think that the crinkly sound inside is made by little water bottles moving around in there.

Pierre: There aren’t just mice. There’s also a wooly caterpillar. There’s something irresistible about this. Maybe it’s the smell of the wool or something.

Newton: It’s not all toys and games. Then there are the grain-free jerky treats. You know what? If you sneak up on your human while she is trying to open them, she makes a loud, startled noise and jerky treats fly all over the floor.

Ashton: Way to go, Newton! We’ll have these cleaned up from the floor in no time.

Newton: The Meowbox people said that if we were picky or were on special diets, we could have ordered a special no-food version of the Meowbox for delivery instead and gotten all toys instead of having treats.

Ashton: Don’t you dare tell them not to send us treats!

Newton: The final item in the Meowbox is pet grass that you can grow yourself. This looks so easy to do that even the head peep could probably grow it, and she kills plants just by looking at them. I can’t wait to have fresh greens to graze on!

The Meowbox is a real hit, stuffed with fun things that we really loved. We give it twelve enthusiastic paws up!

Want more information? You can visit Meowbox on the web or keep up with their latest news on Facebook.

Meowbox Discount Code

Do you want to get your own Meowbox for a ready-made cat party in your mailbox, too? You can get 10% off your first Meowbox subscription at Meowbox.com with promo code CATSHERDYOU10.

FTC Disclosure: We received our Meowbox in exchange for our honest review. Receiving free product did not influence anything we say. All opinions expressed on this site are our own.

The Slow Eater, the Food Thief, and the Surefeed Microchip Pet Feeder

Ever since Pierre decided he didn’t want to eat in the bathroom where he had eaten most of his life, we’ve had a problem: Ashton wants her food and his, too. She will hurriedly eat her own food, and then nudge Pierre out of the way to eat his meal. Once Ashton had pushed Pierre off of his food, he was reluctant to start eating again for fear that she was going to ambush him again. So every meal meant someone had to stand over Pierre to protect his food from Ashton. The idea of having a cat bowl that only let Pierre eat from it and refused Ashton’s advances was very appealing!

The SureFeed microchip feeder looks like something out of Star Trek, with angled plastic side pieces that support a bar that goes over the top of the cat, reading the cat’s microchip to see if he is permitted to eat there. The feeder ships with a tag you can put on your cat’s collar to serve as their personal identifier to the SureFeed if your cat isn’t microchipped.

The feeder also comes with a pair of bowls. One bowl has a divider in it, and the other is a single compartment. The bowl is nearly 5 x 7″ so it is plenty wide to avoid whisker stress. There is a rubber lip around the top edge of each bowl that meets the top of the feeder when it is closed to help keep food fresh. The bowls are plastic, and I was a little disappointed that they aren’t ceramic. I’m looking for a ceramic or stainless bowl in a similar size now to use until the company manufactures them for the feeder. UPDATE Februrary 2016: There is a stoneware oval bowl from Petrageous that fits well as a replacement for the original plastic bowl. A bonus is that it’s microwave-safe, so I can heat Pierre’s food a few seconds in the microwave to stimulate him to eat on his finicky days without having to dirty an extra bowl.

If want to color coordinate your cat feeder with your decor, you can get additional colors of bowls and matching mats to go in the area where your cat puts his front paws. I can see the colors helpful if you have two feeders and want to be able to tell which is for which cat.

Setting up the feeder was really easy. You start by putting in four C batteries, which the company says will last six months. The batteries in my feeder are at about six weeks and going strong.

To teach the feeder your cat’s microchip, press the learning button on the back and toss some treats into the bowl. The feeder locks in the open position, and the cat who puts his head into the bowl to take the treats has his microchip read and is recorded as an authorized cat. It’s that easy. The sensor is fairly strong. Pierre’s microchip has migrated so the chip is actually over his shoulder blade instead of being between his shoulder blades, but the SureFeed had no problem reading it.

Once the cat is authorized, the feeder has a series of training settings designed to allow your cat to get used to the idea of a moving door over their food. On the beginner setting, the feeder is essentially locked in an open position, but the door twitches a little bit when the cat puts his head in to eat. In the medium and advanced training settings, the door closes partially over the food. In this photo, Pierre is approaching the SureFeed on one of its training settings, so the bowl is partially opened even before his chip triggers it.

Pierre graduated surprisingly quickly through the training levels, and soon he was confidently approaching a completely closed feeder, knowing that putting his head under the bar would cause it to open. Within a week, he could eat unsupervised without someone having to stand over him and make sure Ashton didn’t steal his food.

It’s so much easier to manage my hectic mornings when I don’t have to stand over Pierre for however long it takes him to finish eating. I know that his food is safe from Ashton’s intrusion. Just watch:

(If the video doesn’t display here for you, you can visit it directly on YouTube)

That video was recorded the second or third week we were testing the SureFeed. After six weeks, Ashton doesn’t even bother to crowd Pierre while he eats any more. She has learned that it isn’t going to get her any food even if she bullies him into walking away. As far as I know, she only got a bite of food from it once, when I had the feeder set to the longest delay before closing. Pierre had walked away, and lightning-quick, Ashton grabbed one mouthful before it closed on her. I turned down the delay, which is set with a three-position switch on the bottom of the unit, and that hasn’t happened since.

One thing I noticed was that even though my cats are fed only at mealtimes, I would hear Pierre triggering the SureFeed door at various times during the day. The arm mechanism makes a quiet, mechanical noise when it opens that is audible from my desk in the next room. It reminded me of my own habit of opening the refrigerator to look inside for a snack when I know there aren’t any in there. I knew he was finding it empty, and I worried that it might discourage him from using the feeder at mealtimes. So I leave the feeder in the open position unless there is actually food in it.

Overall, I love the SureFeed. It leaves Pierre less stressed out about having Ashton standing over him through most of his meal, and he finishes his whole meal every time without abandoning it. The SureFeed also frees me up from playing referee between Pierre and Ashton during mealtime. Anything that gives me time back in my day while helping my cats feel less stressed out is a big win for me.

FTC Disclosure: We received our SureFeed feeder at no charge from SureFlap in exchange for our honest review. Receiving free product did not influence anything we say. All opinions expressed on this site are our own.

This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a small percentage if you make a purchase using the link on this page.

Catladybox: For Ladies Who Love Cats… and their Cats

Pierre: Hey, Newt, what are you doing?

Newton: Dorian at CatLadyBox sent me a CRAZY CatLadyBox to review, and I’m about to start. * SNIFF * I can already tell there are some great things in here that ladies who love cats are going to enjoy.

Pierre: Do you mean the orange hairs you’re dropping into it?

Newton: * SNIFF * You know that isn’t what I mean. Don’t you have a red dot to chase or something? I’ve got work to do here.

Ashton: I’m not sure you’re the one who should be reviewing this, Newton. That pretty card says “Cat lady for life.”

Newton: I’m a cat. What’s the problem?

Ashton: But no one is ever going to mistake you for a lady. At least I’m a lady cat. Maybe I should do this.

Newton: Don’t discriminate against me because of my whiskers. I’m spokescat around here, and if you’ll move out of my way, I’ll get on with this review.

Newton: CatLadyBox is a monthly package of 2-3 different cat-themed items. They’re hand-selected by cat lovers for cat lovers, and every month’s box is a surprise. It could contain jewelry, books, accessories, t-shirts, home decor, who knows! Every month is a different selection from independent artists and small businesses. If you get the CRAZY CatLadyBox, you also get two surprises just for your cats. I’m reviewing the July CRAZY CatLadyBox, and it’s full of things for cat-loving ladies and for the cats that love them.

Newton: I heard there was a little something for your cat in every CRAZY CatLadyBox, too, but I see lots in here for me. Let’s take a closer look.

Ashton: Okay. I want to look at this first.

Newton: I didn’t mean YOU take a closer look!

Newton: The pretty card from Prints of Heart that says “Cat lady for life” on it isn’t just a cute decoration that you can put up on your wall or bulletin board. The back also gives information about the contents in the CatLadyBox.

Newton: There’s also a really cute CatLady pen. You could use it sketch a landscape or write a novel, but I suggest using it to make a list for your next trip to the pet supply store. Your handwriting is probably better than mine, so you can just take dictation. Ready? We’re running low on catnip. And we need chicken treats. Lots of chicken treats. You wouldn’t believe how fast Ashton goes through those. Could you get some more cat litter, too? I’m not even going to talk about Pierre did in there this morning. You’d better stock up on canned food, too.

Newton: The CatLadyBox also included a catnip lip balm from Wild Rose Herbs. You heard me right. Catnip lip balm. With no thumbs, I can’t seem to get the lid off of it to try it on, but this is really meant to put on human lips, not kitty lips. Your kitty can just enjoy the smell of it on your lips instead. Then come here and give me a catnip kiss.

Newton: But first… * WHAP * I may have to hang onto this for a while. It makes a great cat toy, too.

Pierre: Hey, watch where you’re whapping that thing!

Newton: Fine, you play with it a while. I’ve got plenty more to review from the CatLadyBox. Like this t-shirt. It’s super-soft, and it has one of my favorite words printed across the front. You can’t see it in this photo, but it has a tail printed on the back like mine. Well, my tail is a lot floofier, but if you wear this shirt, you can have a tail, too.

Newton: The pre-shrunk fabric is super-tasty, too.

Newton: And just look at this beautiful, handmade cat pendant necklace by Southern Gracie! In fact, I want I want a closer look, bring it down here. It’s a nice size, not too large for petite ladies to wear, and it’s made of ceramic in a beautiful pinkish peach tint.

Newton: In addition to fun surprises for your human to use, the CatLadyBox includes fun surprises for kitties, too. Like this fortune cookie toy from Miso Handmade. It’s got some prime catnip in it, and I’m going to lose this thing under the sofa in no time!

Pierre: Salmon meowmosa treats from OmegaPaw? I’m bartending!

Newton: Did you forget who is doing this CatLadyBox review? Get your face out of there!

Newton: Got one! These are amazing!

Pierre: * SIGH * Save one for me.

Newton: As you can tell, I think everything in the CatLadyBox is pawesome, and I give it an enthusiastic four paws up!

You can subscribe for a CatLadyBox on a month-to-month basis, but there are discounts for multi-month subscriptions. You can even buy gift subscriptions for your cat-loving friends! CatLadyBox gives back to cats, too, with 5% of all profits going to cat rescues.

FTC Disclosure: We received our CatLadyBox at no charge for review. Receiving the free product did not influence our review or anything we say. All sponsored posts on our site always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions.