Keeping Your Cool

With the heatwave we currently have, trying to keep cool and not melt is something I am sure we are all trying to do.  Whether it is using a fan, drinking ice cold drinks or even taking cool showers, we all do what we can to keep cool. 

Anyone who reads my blog will know that the mister and I have three cats affectionately known as the 'fur-kids' and in this weather keeping them cool is paramount.

Cats are really intelligent, and on a recent visit to the vet with Dexter, thank god for pet insurance, as he had a higher than normal temperature, he had a major operation recently so I have to keep my eye on him.  As a pet cannot tell you when they are ill, it is always advisable to seek advice from an expert.  My vet re-assured me that cats can stay cool on their own but you can help them by giving them the proper resources, so here are some of my tips:

• Ensure that they have a comfortable bed in a shaded area.  We have cat kennels which have no windows, just an entrance for my boys to get in and out.  Inside there are fleece blankets for them to lay on.
• If your cat will tolerate it and mine do after constant attempts, wipe them down with a cooled cloth, not one wringing wet with water as they won't like it, but something cool and allow them to lie on it around the home.  
• In hot weather like this, I tend to put some frozen peas under the blankets to cool them down. Cats love the coolness of the blankets to keep their temperature down.  Around the house, putting ice cubes inside toys and covering them with catnip always sparks their interest and encourages them to touch it and play.
• I always ensure there are two bowls of fresh water. One bowl is fresh from the tap and I put a few ice cubes in it to keep it cool for a while and the other is from the freezer which I put in every night so that the water thaws throughout the day.  It is important to ensure there is enough water for your cats all day long.
• Brushing your cat daily works to allow the air to move freely through their fur, whilst also removing loose fur due to malting.  

If at any time you don't think your cat or indeed any pet is being themselves, ensure you take them straight to the vet, like humans, cats can suffer from heat stroke and sunburn. 

What do you do to keep your pet cool in weather like this?

*Collaboration, all words my own.

Purrfect Box for Cats

When asked if I would like to review the Christmas Purrfect subscription box, I jumped at the chance because my cats enjoyed the last one so much, it would be a perfect little treat for them. If you are a regular reader of my blog or my Hubby's blog, you will know that we have three male tabby cats who are often referred to as the #furkids and they make regular appearances on Instagram.

The Purrfect box** is a brand new UK subscription service which allows you to treat your cat or your dog every month with a boy of treats.  These treats include toys, accessories, hygiene and personal care products all of which will be customized and chosen by the information you give on your cat's age, size, weight, fur type and preferences. Each month has a different theme so you get different goodies each month. The cost is £19.50 per month or £15.50 if you subscribe yearly and you can see the original box I had HERE.

As this box is Christmas themed, you won't be surprised by some of the contents and this is what we have.

So there was a lot of interest in this box as soon as I placed it on the floor for the boys to look at and the first one in the box was no surprise, the little hunter that we call Asbo.  This box has something for each of my three cats, whether it is to eat or to play with, though it is no surprise that one item has become a firm favourite with the three of them.

The first item is a multi-pack of treats by Good Girl.  Like any cat, mine love a treat or five, though I do seriously try to limit their intake of these and instead reward them for good behaviour or just being cute.  In this bag there are milk drops, catnip drops and catnip biscuits, all of which we are yet to try and all of which will be totally new treats for them.

The next item is the Merry Mice Toys from HappyPet and these little critters are crinkly so make a nice crisp bag scrunching sound when played with and are perfectly designed for being carried around, rolled on and chewed.

Chick 'n' Snacks follows and again, as with treats, I try my best to stick to the guidelines given by my own vet rather than on the packet and having let my boys try these, they seemed a little unsure at first, but now know as soon as I rattle the packet that there is a treat coming their way.

The next item is the one which has caused the most excitement from all three boys (though one is too camera shy to appear) and it is the one toy that they will fight over and chase each other for because it comes with a tube of catnip, which you open and pour into the inside of the mouse and then let them get excited and drool away - like so!

Wrestling the cat nip mouse from them to try out the next item which comes in the form of a glove and is called the Grooming Glove from Camon.  The one things about having pets is that they shed hair, some only a little and others a lot and it is a natural cycle that cats go through to get both their summer and winter coat.  Mine are no exception to this rule and I am sure they have an inbuilt antennae which tells them I am wearing a lovely clean pair of black jeans which are furless, only for them to come and want to jump on my lap!  This Grooming Glove is designed so be worn over your hand and then act as a brush to help you groom your cat and remove those loose hairs which are waiting to fall off.   My cats loved to be brushed and they are quite keen on this glove too.

The final toy in this selection is a Christmas themed gingerbread man shaped teaser toy which is hangs off of a piece of elastic on a pole.  The idea being that you tease the cat with it, they get a bit of exercise and the poor toy gets pulled to bits.  My cats are big fans of these toys and happily bounce all over the show trying to catch it, when they do catch it they attack it as though it was once alive.  For a bit more fun, you can drizzle cat nip onto it to add to their excitement.

The final item is something no Christmas is the same without and that is a stocking for all these lovely gifts and infact it has come in really handy for storing all the treats in because it is both cool and dark. 

So there you have it, the Christmas box from Purrfect for cats, there is also an alternative for the dog in your life which you can find HERE.

My cats have absolutely loved this box and if all of those toys and treats were not enough, well all that is left to say is show a cat and a box and this is what you get:

Purrfect Box!

When asked if I would like to review a subscription box, I was all excited, I then continued reading to find the email was infact meant for one of my cats and not for me. If you read my blog or my Hubby's blog, you will know that we have three cats, all male tabby's and often mentioned with the moniker #furkids attached to them and they often make appearances on Instagram.

The Purrfect box** is a brand new UK subscription service which allows you to treat your cat, or your dog each month you will receive each month treats, toys, accessories, hygiene and personal care products customized and based on the cat's age, size, weight, fur type and preferences. Each month has a different theme so you get different goodies each month. The cost is £19.50 per month or £15.50 if you subscribe yearly and this was what was in my first box.

As you can see, there was some excitement as to what was in the box.  My boys love boxes and paper bags, especially Primark bags, so as soon as they see one, they want to be in it.

So in the box there are five different items, all nicely packaged ready to get your cats attention. So in my box we had:

Hills Cat Shrimp Snacks - These are heart-shaped biscuits which most definitely remind me of shrimp paste, you know the stuff that you used to get in sandwiches from your Nan, and as soon as the packet was open, all three of mine wanted to know what they were.

Trixie Multivitamin Paste - I wasn't too sure how this would be recieved, but unsurprisingly, all three of them loved it as soon as I squirted some onto the pink box they had been fighting over just moments ago.  The description says it will add shine and lustre to their coats, so I intend to add some to their food each morning to see if there is a notable difference.

A Spot Laser Toy - Always guaranteed to have hours of fun with this, as soon as the batteries are in and the red light appears, off they go zooming around trying in vain to catch the red spot.

As you can see by the noisy video below, Dexter was trying as hard as he could to catch the red spot.

The Wasabycat Scratching Post - This caused the most amount of interest in my box, infact I couldn't;t get near it for a good hour whilst the three of them fought over it, rubbed themselves over it and generally became a dribbling wreck.  The post itself, is more of a box which has little vents in it to shove the accompanying catnip into.  It has a scratching mat on the top and out of the three of mine, Asbo scratches the most and Dude tries to chew it.

The final item is a 4Cats Valerian Heart Toy and again, this was fought over too, possibly because it had been next to the catnip in the box and the scent had clearly rubbed off.  This is a favourite of Dude and he had a great time playing with it, as did Asbo when he could get near it and Dexter just sat back and watched everyone generally looking a bit daft.

To see the look on the faces of my three boys as soon as I opened the box was amazing, they loved each and every item within the box, which you can see from the photos and even now, a few weeks after getting the box, all of the items are still played with, rolled over chewed, dribbled on and fought over, so for me, this is great value for money and is definitely something I would think of subscribing too.

What do you think to this box? Have you got it, would you buy it?