Other Resources & Recommendations

Litter Locker

The Litter Locker changed litter management for me. I have three of these around my home, one per litter box. They are extremely easy to use, and do an amazing job of containing all the litter smells. You simply scoop the soiled litter into the container, and pull the divider to trap the smells. When the container is full (about once a week) you tie off the bag and dispose as usual. The only downside is that the Litter Locker Refill cartridges are a little pricey and are effectively fancy $5 garbage bags, but since each cartridge lasts approximately 2 months, it’s manageable.

Litter Robot

Full disclosure – I don’t actually own a Litter Robot. However, several of my friends do, and they cannot recommend them enough. They don’t understand why I don’t have one yet. To quote my buddy Steve: “The Litter Robot saved my marriage”. No more scooping! Or in Steve’s case, no more arguing about who forgot to scoop. I’ve seen these magical devices in action, and they are definitely very cool. I’m personally a little worried they might be a tad small, but one of Steve’s cats is huge and doesn’t have any issues, so there’s a chance my worry is unfounded. I’d probably own at least one of these if I didn’t love my Litter Lockers so much.

“The Tabby” Cat Nap Cat Tree Condo

I bought “The Tabby” Cat Nap Cat Tree Condo over 6 years ago and it’s still holding up well. My cats use it daily, running up it’s posts like they’re trees, using the bottom parts as scratchers and perching at the top to watch over their domain. When I initially got it I was a little worried about the quality – the carpet used is definitely on the cheap side, and after 6 years some has worn away. Overall though it’s standing up well to the wear and tear, and has also survived 2 moves. It’s very tall – 6′ high. When placed against a wall it’s very sturdy, but I wouldn’t leave it freestanding; if your cats are anything like mine they’ll most likely end up knocking it over with little effort.

KONG Cat Cozie Kickeroo

At any one time there are at least a half dozen KONG Cat Cozie Kickeroos scattered around my house. My cats luurve these toys. They carry them all around the house -- I always find them in my bed… and occasionally in the toilet or litter box. They also appear to enjoy beating the crap out of them with their hind legs. The catnip is an added bonus when the toy is new, but the effect doesn’t seem to last more than a day or so. That said, when I bring a new one home my cats have been known to dig it out my bag and rip it out of its packaging before I can even get a chance to put away the groceries!

Pet-Gear Plus Traveler Rolling Backpack Carrier

A few years ago, there was a fire in my apartment building. As people were screaming from balconies and others were knocking on my door yelling at me to get out, I realized I had no way to get all three of my cats out and down 24 flights of stairs by myself. I had to leave them, and it completely wrecked me.

Everything was fine, thankfully. There was damage to some of the units above me, but no one (human or pet) was hurt. My cats were less traumatized than I was after the whole ordeal. The end result was I swore I would never again be in a position where I had to evacuate without the cats.

Hence, I bought the Pet-Gear Plus Traveler Rolling Backpack Carrier (although mine’s pink… which if you knew me, you’d realize how hilarious that is). It fits two of my (average sized) cats comfortably, and all three in an emergency. And although it wasn’t a comfortable trek, I was able to use it to carry all 3 cats down all those stairs the next time the fire alarm rang.

As a backpack, it’s not great. It does the job, but it’s really quite awkward. However, as a rolling suitcase-type cat carrier for regular vet visits and whatnot, it’s great. My cats love it (and happily sleep in it), and with the large front zipper there are no issues trying to shove a cat into a small space.

If you’re looking for a large carrier, or something that is capable of transporting multiple cats at once, it’s worth checking out.