Product Review

After careful consideration, from time to time I write a product reviews. If you see it here, it's because, at LEAST I think it's worth you knowing about even if I have an issue with it and, at BEST, I think it's amazing and we should all have one, two or more of whatever it is I'm reviewing. I get NO reimbursement for writing these reviews, though to write a review I am supplied with the item, as I was in this case. This review is MY OPINION, ONLY. The result you experience using this product may differ.

------------------------

Normally my reviews are based on a modest test period that's long enough to determine whether or not it's appropriate for cats. In this case, the testing period is over A YEAR in the making. In fact, I ended up switching to this litter as a result of the test. Also, my dear cat, Bob was still living during the initial testing, so he's included in some of the photos, below.

I was a die hard Sodium-bentonite-loaded-clumping-cat-litter-user. With EIGHT CATS I need their litter to clump and be good at odor control. Even if it would gum up my cat's paws and be very tough to scrape out of the litter pan, even if it left this TERRIBLE dust ALL over the place (that was difficult to clean-and even though it was declared that the product was 99% dust free), I used it. It clumped. That's what I cared about. I'd tried litter made from other materials, such as pine, wheat, newspaper and more. They all were lacking in some way. Some failed to clump, some had a nasty odor or texture and the cats wouldn't use it. The only other time I used any different litter was when I was fostering very young kittens, who are known to eat their litter. In that case I would use clay, non-clumping litter, but even then, I was sorely tempted to sneak a layer of clumping litter below the clay layer so I could still clean the litter pan with some measure of ease.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson.

I decided to try World's Best Cat Litter™ after receiving a seven pound bag of their Multiple Cat Clumping Formula, along with a cute litter mat. I started my test with a BRAND NEW litter pan that I purchased, to make sure the cats were getting only the smell of the new litter. I also offered my cats, in a separate, new litter pan, the litter they were used to using-clumping “concrete” litter.

The litter, itself is a nice golden color and the granules are small. The more like sand, the better my cat will like it. It has an odd odor since it's corn, slightly sweet, but it didn't overpower me and I don't notice it other than when I refresh the litter in the pan.

The test period was supposed to be a few weeks. Instead, I ended up switching my litter to WBCL, so my observations about the product have been going on for over a year.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. You can tell this was taken awhile ago. Blitzen still looks like a baby!

World's Best Cat Litter is made from whole kernal corn grown in the United States. On their web site, they list their product benefits. Some are included, below. My comments about their benefits, follow.

Because it's made from corn, it's generally safe to just flush down the toilet, even if you have a septic tank. Now remember, septic tanks are designed to contain waste from only a certain number of people living in a home. Adding lots of flushed litter is like adding another person's waste to your septic tank (depending on how much you flush), so use common sense if you chose to do this. I do not flush my litter and I do have a septic tank.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Um..wait until I put the litter in the pan!

World's Best lasts longer than the same amount of other litters. I found this to be the case, as well. Though we scoop the litter pans at least once a day, we don't find ourselves racing out to buy more litter as often as we did prior to using WBCL. That said, we feed a raw diet to our cats and they produce less waste overall. I also tested this on Kitten Associates foster kittens, who had to be over 8 weeks old, as is suggested on the package. The amount of waste was much greater in the kittens and I found the multi-cat begin to lose its' effectiveness between the last litter cleaning at night and the first in the morning. The odor control was not effective. That said, I had up to 6 foster cats using just one large litter pan and to continue to clump well or provide good odor control is a lot to ask of any litter. The litter DID clump well, even in a loaded pan, but the odor control failed. I would say the tipping point is when more than half of the pan is made up of waste...and that is A LOT of waste!

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob gets in his first sniff (and nibble) of the litter.

Easy to Scoop. Yes! Indeed. You don't need a chisel to scrape the bottom of the pan. The litter clumps very well and is easy to lift out of the pan. Compared to what I was accustomed to, I found it to be not as rock solid, but how strong of a clump do you need? As long as it clumps well, you can effectively clean the pan.

DUST! Everyone HATES dust! The silica based litter I used was AWFUL. There was a layer of thick dust I constantly had to battle with. It got EVERYWHERE and I worried about what it was doing to my lungs and my cat's, as well. With WBCL, I do NOT have a similar issue about dust. One litter pan is near a TV set in the foster room. The screen would be covered in dust every day with the old litter. Now, I only dust it as I'd do the rest of my house. I don't see any buildup or feel like I'm choking in a cloud of particulate when I pour the litter into the pan.

Issues, weirdness, wondering...

I'd heard this through the grapevine that cats EAT WBCL. It's true. Some of my cats nibbled at it. I do believe some of them ate it when I wasn't looking. Two cats got sick. One with helicobactor pylori and the other with a mysterious infection. I CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN if it was from eating the litter, but I do have x-rays that show the litter inside one of the cat's digestive tract. There was NO other explanation of those granules appearing on x-ray. The cats only eat canned grain-free food. If your cat eats the litter, you have to stop using it.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Smells like corn!

At the time, we weren't certain about the litter involvement. One cat does not use that litter any more (just to be safe) and the other does. There has not been a repeat of any illness that could be associated wtih eating the litter. I also feel that if you were to scoop a bit of dirty litter into the WBCL when you first start to use it, you may not have this issue. You're clearly telling your cat what the litter is for, so hopefully your cat won't be tempted to nibble.

A few moths ago, WBCL came out with a Lavender scented litter using 100% all natural oil in a very small amounts. My guess is that adding the scent, keeps the cats from eating it. Their stated reason for it is because owners want a scented litter. I find this a bit odd since most owners should not want ANY scent in their litter. Cats have refined sense of smell and can become litterbox averse over the smallest change. I did a short test using the scented and one cat used it without a problem, but I did not care for the smell.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob and Blitzen were immediately interested in the new litter.

Another weirdness-It's been over a year since I started using WBCL and in the past few months I've noticed my cats urinating on the BAG. At first I thought it was due to some sort of territorial marking, so I moved the bags into an area away from the cats. A few days ago, I discovered my foster cats were doing the SAME THING and they're in a room by themselves so this can't be a behavioral issue. I'm not sure why they peed (a lot) on the opened bags. I asked a representative from WBCL about it and no one else has mentioned this as being an issue. They are looking into it, but so far, my cats are either freaks or something is going on with the bags.

The Pros and Cons-

I like World's Best Cat Litter MUCH BETTER than silica based clumping, newspaper, wheat or pine litters. It's more expensive if you compare it based on cost per pound versus other litters, but it DOES last longer. The scent of the corn litter is a bit odd. I think in a small space sometimes it makes me sneeze quite a bit, but...I will still use it because I did NOT have an issue with it being dusty-far from it. It clumps well and now that the cats aren't eating it, I can trust using it. I DO NOT care for the 17 pound sized bag and I don't have the strength to handle the 34 pound sized bag. It's NOT easy (at all) to open the bag and once open it's difficult to manage. I liked the box style litter that other brands use. It's a much easier to handle. I hope WBCL rethinks their packaging for bags over 7 pounds in weight. My cats easily made the transition to using the new litter and preferred it over their old clumping litter by FAR and I would rather they have corn on their paws and in their lungs, than chemically enhanced clay.

Even with some mild concerns, I'll still keep using World's Best Cat Litter and suggest others give it a try.

If you'd like to Win a 7 pound bag of World's Best Cat Litter™, I'm doing a Giveway to FOUR LUCKY FOLKS. Simply post a comment in this blog post and include in the title: “I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CATS”. In the comment section, add your name and e-mail address.

If you would prefer to e-mail me your entry, you can contact me at info@coveredincathair.com Put “I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CATS” in the subject line, your name and email address in the body of the message. DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS OCTOBER 15, 2011 AT 5PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME. Winners will be notified via e-mail. Open to residents of the United States of America, only.

After careful consideration, from time to time I write a product reviews. If you see it here, it's because, at LEAST I think it's worth you knowing about even if I have an issue with it and, at BEST, I think it's amazing and we should all have one, two or more of whatever it is I'm reviewing. I get NO reimbursement for writing these reviews, though to write a review I am usually supplied with the item, as I was in this case. This review is MY OPINION, ONLY. The result you experience using this product may differ.

------------------------------

I've been a fan of Wellness® canned cat foods for many years. Their turkey & salmon flavor was one of the foods my cats liked when I was starting to transition them from grained dry food to grain-free canned food. As many of you know, I'm a BIG BIG BIG (literally and figuratively) fan of getting the GRAIN out of our cat's diet and Wellness was one of the few brands, at the time, that had products that were wholesome, grain-free and that the cats enjoyed.

Wellness® is part of the WellPet® family of brands that was created, when Old Mother Hubbard® and Eagle Pack® Pet Foods merged. They have a focused philosophy on doing right by our pets nutritional needs. From their web site:

“True Wellness can only come from an ideal balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates—no ‘empty calories.’ That’s why our nutritionists never stop studying our animals’ needs. And, when it comes to protein, we know that pet foods sometimes use inferior ingredients. We do not. True Wellness comes from using only pure protein from high-quality sources.

True Wellness means every ingredient has a purpose in every food we make. We study until we’re confident of its health benefit… and then, we make sure to put in the right amount so you’ll see a difference in your animal— We never add ingredients just to have the newest ‘buzzword’ on the label.”

They've also created the WellPet Foundation®, whose goal is to give back and support non-profits that promote natural nutrition. I love this because my own non-profit, Kitten Associates, Inc., insists that new adopters feed a grain-free diet and never a bite of dry food.

Wellness recently released their newest line of canned grain-free products. They come Minced, Cubed or Sliced, in twelve varieties, in a 3 oz size, only. The list of available varieties is HERE-Wellness Canned Recipes. I received some samples of the product to try on my foster kittens and their mom, Mazie.

When I saw the cans, it made me think, right away that these products might be aimed as competition for the Fancy Feast brand. The cans are small, the food is in different shapes and consistency. There are no plans for a larger sized can, at this writing, so it seems perhaps that's what is going on. If so, the FF folks better run. This new product by Wellness is GOOD STUFF, made with high quality ingredients and not a lot of ingredients, either. It's GRAIN-FREE, too.

From their web site, here's an example of what to know about each of their flavors:

• 100% Grain Free, Complete and Balanced Meal

• Single Protein Source (Turkey)

• Convenient serving size

• No Wheat, Meat By-Products, or Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives

• Perfect for encouraging hydration

This is what I like to see!

You should learn to read the ingredients panel of your cat's food and what it means. We'll do that in another blog post, but generally speaking, below you can see there is a single protein source-which is really good. It helps keep food allergies at bay. There isn't a lot of extras in this food. Keep it simple, which is best. Here's Sliced Turkey Entrée:

Turkey, Turkey Broth, Water Sufficient for Processing, Peas, Dried Egg Whites, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Carrots, Guar Gum, Broccoli, Sodium Phosphate, Ground Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Cranberries, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Carrageenan, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride.

But did the cats eat it?

Yes! They seemed to enjoy the minced over sliced or cubed. The larger the pieces were may have been why they didn't completely gobble up every bit of it off the plate. They seemed to enjoy all the flavors-of course if there's fish in it, the cats always go for that. There's a nice gravy on the food and the cats lapped that right up.

The product, itself, seemed wholesome and had a nice aroma, though I personally did not TRY any of it myself!

My cats generally like a “paté” consistency over something chunkier, but from the standpoint of ingredient choices and a nice blend of flavors to choose from, if you only have one or two cats, this is a great product to try. If you have more than a pair of cats, I'd suggest you look into Wellness's other flavors that are part of their Complete Health Line come in both 5.5 oz and 12 oz cans. The just don't come in the sliced, minced or cubed style.

Now for the FUN PART! We're giving away ONE MIXED CASE of Wellness Cubed, Sliced & Minced Canned Cat Recipes to ONE LUCKY READER! We also have TWO, $10.00 OFF coupons, one per person, to TWO OTHER LUCKY READERS!

Winning is EASY! Just leave a comment, below and make SURE you include your email address. To avoid spam bots, you can post your email address like this: myemailaddress @ someplace.com Notice I added a SPACE on either side of the @ symbol. That will keep your email address safe. If you don't want to post your email address, you can email me at info@coveredincathair.com with the subject line: I wanna WIN wellness! And I will includes those folks in the drawing, too. PLEASE DO NOT E-MAIL ME MORE THAN ONE TIME or PUT A COMMENT BELOW AND EMAIL ME. Those folks will be disqualified! Sorry, we can't ship out of the USA, so only folks with addresses in the United States of America can enter.

DEADLINE IS MIDNIGHT EASTERN STANDARD TIME (USA) JULY 28TH

(which is just before the last day of VOTING for us to WIN BEST CAT BLOG AND BEST SOCIAL INTEGRATION BLOG FOR THE PETTIE 2011 AWARDS-HINT!) VOTE HERE

Let the comments, begin! Good luck to all of you!

I've rarely been so excited to write about a new product. It's so top secret, I'I had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. I've been lucky, heck, honored to be the ONLY BLOGGER TO BE GIVEN BEHIND THE SCENES ACCESS TO THE MOST DAZZLING NEW PET PRODUCT TO COME TO MARKET SINCE CAT LITTER!

I can't even believe I'm going to write this...inappropriate cat urination problems have been SOLVED with the modification of a simple device that's been around since the 1930's.

I give you, Flunette™

Let’s start with the obvious question: What is this thing? Flunette is a silicone container, a reusable device that collects the urine of female cats rather than allowing it to be released, then collected (by you) as clumped waste in litter pans. The container can be worn continuously for up to 12 hours, including overnight, before it must be emptied. This just means a quick rinse off with their Feelin' Good Feline Wash Liquid and you're ready to go.

The Flunette is based on menstrual cups, which were first used in the 1930's. It was a reusable alternative to tampons and pads that collects the menstrual flow rather than absorbs it. With a slight modification and adjustment downwards to a small size, the Flunette was born.

There’s a learning curve, for sure. But there’s also a payoff. Flunette is comfortable, well at least that's the theory. Your cat can do everything she normally does – take a nap, eat, play with a mousey toy – but no matter how mad or territorial she may get, the last thing she can do is empty her bladder onto your favorite chair, the wall in your bedroom or even on your kitchen counter! All her urine is safely contained inside the Flunette until YOU empty it.

Made of silicone, the Flunette (above) is flexible enough to ensure comfortable insertion. Note: I wear kevlar gloves when I insert the device into my cats. I find it's safer for us both if I take that simple precaution.

Insertion is a snap. Just press the sides together to collapse the container area then insert open end first. The tapered tip should face OUT. It's the handle you'll tug on later to remove the Flunette from your cat.

For those of us who suffer, as I do, with cats peeing all over their homes. The Flunette is a lifesaver. Sure, it was difficult to insert the device into my cat's urethra, but I found that if I gave her a bag of treats, she was so busy gobbling them up, she didn't notice what was going on in her back end. Yes, I did get clawed and bitten the first few times, but never so badly I had to be hospitalized and like anything else, persistence pays off.

I can't believe how clean and fresh smelling my home is now that I have Flunettes in all my female cats! Now that they stopped spraying, the males stopped, too and they didn't even need to wear the cup!

In the big picture, using a urination barrier device is better for the environment since it reduces the need for cat litter! Now Fluffy will only need the litter pan for moving her bowels, though don't tell, but there is a rumor that Flunette will soon have a companion product; Turdtainer.

Think of the money you'll save on cat litter, since a Flunette device can last for several years with proper care. Your back will thank you, too. No more lugging heavy bags of cat waste to the trash!

Flunette is:

Made of 100% medical grade silicone

Hypoallergenic and latex-free

Environmentally friendly

Rinse carefully with soap and water (or Feelin' Good Feline Wash)

As with all of my Product reviews, know I did not receive any payment for my review, only a sample of the product and the wash. My results are simply that, mine! Your results may vary. Also, make sure you have health insurance before you purchase this product.

Ordering information for Flunette is HERE. The Flunette is $12.95 for one and $16.95 for two. The Feelin' Good Feline Wash is $6.95. Both products will be available April 31, 2011 for one day only, so ACT FAST! Please share this post with ALL your fed up, peed upon friends! You'll be glad you did.

On occasion and after careful consideration, from time to time I'm going to write up a product review. If you see it here, it's because, at LEAST I think it's worth you knowing about even if I have an issue with it and, at BEST, I think it's amazing and we should all have one, two or more of whatever it is I'm reviewing. I get NO reimbursement for writing these reviews, though to write a review I am usually supplied with the item, as I was in this case. This review is MY OPINION, ONLY. The result you experience using this product may differ.

Today's Review Features:

The KatKabin DezRez is designed and made by Brinsea Products, Ltd. based out of Florida, USA and lists for $99.00 for the standard unit. There are many accessories available including a thicker liner, a double door, a heated bed and just released recently is a ScratchKabin, (I want one!) also $99.00, whose surface can be scratched and shares the same padded liner as the standard katkabin.

Do you want to read about the history of this company? Nah...sounds like they're very nice, caring folks who wanted to design a special shelter for cats regardless of if they live in or out of doors. I'm anxious to tell you what I think of the product!

But first, many of you know, I'm opposed to cats living outdoors for a million different reasons, but I'm not going to judge a product badly because it helps keep cats outside. From my standpoint, if a cat must be outdoors, then they should have a stable shelter.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. OMG CUTE! See the whiskers?!

Let's get to the good part: katkabins are ADORABLE! Look at them! They're shaped like a BIG CAT HEAD WITH WHISKERS, EVEN! What's not to LOVE?! They come in SIX FUN COLORS! (the ScratchKabin comes in THREE). The folks at Brinsea Products were smart. They sent me a katkabin to review, chosing my FAVORITE COLOR: HOT PINK!

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. katkabins make dramatic art house shadows.

The katkabin arrived on a nice, sunny day, so I took it outside onto my deck and allowed some of my cats to inspect it. They immediately went over to the katkabin to give it a sniff. They didn't hiss at it, so I'm guessing they didn't get confused and think the cat head shape represented their mortal enemy.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob and Spencer investigate. Wait! Is that MacGruber outside on the deck! Sneaky devil!

The katkabin is made of fade resistant plastic. It's not “bullet proof,” but should stand up to reasonable wear and tear. In the literature that came with the product, they mention keeping the katkabin out of direct sunlight to better preserve the color. You also don't particularly want to bake your cat inside this shelter, either, so keep in mind where you might want to locate yours. Yes, there ARE vent holes in the back of the kabin so you can't literally bake your cat.

Inside the katkabin is a washable foam pad with a cover. They also sell a thicker, softer pad the encircles the inside of the katkabin to provide extra warmth. They even sell a heating pad for an additional $49.00 which will do even more to help keep your cat warm during especially cold days.

There are openings on the underside of each leg. This would allow you to attach the katkabin onto your deck, or any other surface, so it stays put. Clever! Of course, I'm imagining that I could get a bunch of kabins and some how attached them to the wall in my living room.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob begins his journey into the center of the kabin...will he fit inside it?

My cat, Bob Dole, entered the katkabin, first. I wondered if he'd fit inside it. Bob is not a huge cat, but not tiny, either. He had no problem fitting inside the katkabin. It's possible that two smaller cats could also fit inside it, as well. Certainly it could hold a clutter of kittens without any difficulty.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson...or is his butt too big? (he fit just fine!)

There's a clear plastic swinging door the connects to the front of the kabin. I did put it in place, but my cats became shy about entering the kabin. I think that with time, a cat would get used to the door and having a door would reduce the amount of rain or wind inside the kabin. I did NOT test it to see if it would leak. They did a good job covering up seams, so it may do well in that regard.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Blitzen takes over the katkabin.

After the inital test, I brought the katkabin into my living room and placed it on the floor. Within a few seconds there was a line of cats checking it out. in the past few weeks since it arrived, every day there's a different cat sitting in the katkabin. It's a great size for them and I love to look at it. I'd love to have a bank of them along the wall-like storage pods for the cats. I definitely need more than one because my cats are bad at sharing.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Bob looks a little worse for wear. The chemo made him lose the fur on his face, but otherwise he's doing well and enjoys kabin life.

Bottom line: I have KatKabin fever! katkabins are super cute, whimsical and charming for we humans to have in or outside of our home. They're a fairly well made shelter for our cats. I think the biggest problem is that they're so cute I might accidently buy too many of them.

Covered in Cat Hair readers get a special discount. Until March 31, 2011, you can save 10% off ANY ORDER on www.katkabin.net. COUPON CODE: REFZKOT1

If you DO order a katkabin, make sure you take a photo of your cat and add it to their online Gallery..oh, and TELL ME ABOUT IT, TOO! Would love to know what you think!

P.S. My birthday is April 3rd. I'm just sayin'...

Life behind bars for any shelter cat is usually flat out, miserable. The poor creatures just sit there and wait around, bored, angry, frustrated. Some cats are VERY lucky, their shelter has mandatory enrichment programs for their cats. Studies show that cats who are active in a cage are much more likely to be adopted than cats who sit there glumly passing time.

Enrichment for cats can also help de-stress the animal, keeping it healthy longer. This is a very important thing to keep in mind. If less cats get sick, fewer of them are euthanized. It doesn't take much to make their lives better, but with budgets cut, donations dwindling, how can any shelter afford the "luxury" of enrichment for the cats when they can't afford food or litter?

I'm NOT interested in promoting products on my Blog unless I LOVE them, feel the company is ethical and that me telling you about it would benefit you and your cats or cats in need of help. Today I'm going to talk about such a product. It's called a “Stretch and Scratch.”

I first became aware of these miniature cat scratchers at the Cat Writers' Conference a few weeks ago. In my swag bag was a tiny scratcher. At first I couldn't fathom it's use. It's too tiny for any of my adult cats, but then I noticed that the scratcher has twist ties threaded through the back. YES! To HANG them on the inside of a cage!

Everything made sense. I could use these during times when I have to separate kittens from their mama by caging them and I could use them in the cages when I bring my foster cats to adoption events! They're nice and sturdy and within a second of unpacking the scratcher at home, Blitzen was using it!

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Blitzen diggin' the scratcher.

But what about the kitties at all those shelters who can't afford much of anything? I thought about my friends at Henry County Care & Control in McDonough, Georgia. I thought about all those cats, just sitting in cages hoping for a miracle that all too often does not come.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. LOVE the scratcher! Adopt me!

I contacted Joan, Owner and Creator, Designer of Scratch and Stretch and ordered a case of scratchers to be shipped to Henry County as a surprise. I wasn't going to tell you about it. I didn't want to make a big “to do” about what a nice person I am and all that mularky, but this morning I got two thank you emails, one from Gerri Yoder, the Director of HCCAC and one from our friend, Betsy, who helps get the word out on the cats in need at HCCAC. They BOTH sent me photos of their cats using the scratchers and I realized that sharing these photos might inspire you to buy some, too.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. I LOVE MY SCRATCHER! Oh and Adopt me!

Apparently, they're a BIG HIT with the kitties.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Adopt us or rescue us!

I know it doesn't help them get OUT of HCCAC, but, at least it provides the cats with some joy and a way to de-stress. I think it helps the staff, too, seeing the cats playing and having fun.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Mmmmeow..scratching fun!

What I'd like YOU to do is to consider buying some scratchers for YOUR LOCAL SHELTER. Joan tells me that they can still ship to arrive BEFORE CHRISTMAS! You don't have to spend oodles of money. Maybe you can ask a few friends to come together and pitch in a few dollars so you can send a 1/2 case or a case! Joan also coordinates a team of folks who make cat beds for shelters, called Kennel Comforters and she does it purely out of love and a desire to help cats in shelters. They are always in need of donations of FABRIC so if you have some fabric to share, just contact her here.

Prices are: $45 for 1/2 case of 25 scratchers and $75 for 1 case of 50 scratchers. Shipping is extra, but I'm told that Joan cuts the shipping way down so you really get a bargain with the shipping-they actually pay some of it. Joan is not out to be a millionaire, she just wants shelter cats to be happy and this is part of her way to make that happen.

I would also like to know about any of you buying scratchers for shelters. All folks who make a purchase will be listed here on a big THANK YOU roster in January! Please be sure to let me know which shelter you bought scratchers for when you write to tell me about you being a GREAT person. Hee hee! Just email me at: info AT coveredincathair.com

Don't forget. THE CATS SHOWN HERE (other than my cat, Blitzen!) ARE AVAILABLE FOR RESCUE OR ADOPTION. CONTACT BETSY MERCHANT FOR MORE INFORMATION mystiblu@bellsouth.net

Being covered in cat hair, is not always a goal in my home. It can be an annoying price to pay living with eight cats. When I was asked to test drive the PawsOFF™ Protective Bed Cover, I jumped at the chance. I asked for two samples; one for me and one for my co-hort in crime, Jennifer, who also has a few issues with cat hair, as well.

The cover comes in a few different colors, supposedly to match any decor. That is true, unless you're like me and have bright orange or lime green sheets. In truth, they are wise to use “sand,” “chocolate,” and “charcoal” for the color choices since it will hide the fact that you have day-glo colored sheets, anyway. PawsOFF comes in sizes ranging from twin to king.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Spencer enjoying some quiet-shedding-time on the new protective bed cover.

Once I got over the fact that I would never see my sheets again, I found that the cover was very well made, with sturdy elastic straps that, if you aren't lazy, as I am, you can easily slip under the mattress, giving the cover a relatively snug fit. The bed looked lumpy, but heck it was COVERED. Maybe I wouldn't have to see a mass of cat hair at the end of the bed-the favorite napping location of most of the cats.

The cover is soft and appears to be durable. Jennifer has a CH Cat, named Lilly Grace who is actually fed on her bed. Since Lilly Grace cannot walk easily, she usually claws her way across the bed. Good luck to keeping nice looking linens with a cat clawing at them every day.

©2010 Jennifer Jasensky. Lilly Grace and friend on their PawsOFF Protective Bed Cover.

Here's more about Jennifer's experience:

It's easy to clean off Lilly Grace's canned food crumbs, the stuff that dries up and becomes part of the bedding after a while, I was never able to get that off the old bedspread without pulling hard or just running it through the washer. With the cover, the food can be wiped off even if it dries, wet - the food comes off easy. With CH, Lilly Grace bobs her head to get food so often the food flies a few feet away from her.

For myself, I admit to being somewhat skeptical that this was a necessary item. Why couldn't I just buy a cheap bedspread that I use to cover my bed, instead? Also, I just wonder if it's a good idea to cover the bed, when the linens really should be aired out during the day, right? That said, if you have a slobbering dog or it's spring and the cats are shedding, who cares if the bed is aired out?

The bottom line for me: I'm too lazy to make my bed and use the elastic bands to hold down the PawsOFF Protective Bed Cover, BUT, I still have the cover on my bed. I just use it to cover the bottom half of the bed, so my colorful pillows and sheets can still be seen. I have a sand colored cover and it's so neutral it goes with anything-though I do wish there were some colorful options.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Spencer and Blitzen like the feel of the soft cover.

The last test I WOULD NOT DO is to find out of cat urine would seep through the cover. That would be the BIG reason to buy this cover. Twice, one of my cats has peed on the bed. If I could be certain this cover would protect that from happening, I wouldn't hesitate to tell the world to buy them for that sole purpose. Since I can't know that, I can simply say it does exactly as advertised. It keeps the fur off the bed as long as when you move the cover to get into the bed, you keep the fur side UP. One of the cats made a slight “stain of mysterious origin” and it kept it off my sheets and was easy to clean up and lastly...

When you get into the bed, the cats are still going to climb onto it, so you should keep the cover on..but it can be a bit warm. I just move it to the end of the bed in the worse fur “zone” so I don't get too hot.

LiveWell Pet Products is based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. For the next week, use the coupon code CCH10 to save $10.00 off (a VERY GOOD DEAL!) your order of a PawsOFF™ Protective Bed Cover. This offer is exclusive to Covered in Cat Hair readers (you lucky guys!).

PLEASE NOTE: Jennifer and I test drove the covers for a few MONTHS. We were not paid for our review, but we did receive a free cover. This is only our opinion of this product, your results may vary, along with your opinion of the product. There, the FTC can be happy with me now-full disclosure! This review also is not an endorsement.