Reddit reviews Bad Air Sponge 2lb. Container

Pretend as if you're about to adopt a very mobile, active toddler/baby human. But remember that, unlike a baby, cats live vertically - they can jump and climb.


Try to look around your home and see any things the cat might get into/eat/destroy and tidy up those things as much as possible. For example, if you have blinds on the window in your room, you might want to tie up the pull-strings so a curious cat can't grab them, and tuck electrical cords away as best you can. If you have any houseplants, google them online to make sure they aren't toxic (a good place to start is https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list ). Cats definitely won't stop themselves from eating toxic plants - my 19-year-old idiot decided the green onions in the backyard looked tasty one day and tried a bite, and my 1-year-old idiot had a go at a poinsettia I had inside (it has since been exiled to the backyard - the plant, not the cat!)


I also personally NEVER leave out any toys that my cats can easily rip up and ingest parts of - this means nothing small and nothing with feathers, string, leather, or straw. Cats can get VERY sick and die if they eat string/"linear foreign bodies".


I only leave out sturdy "interactive" toys that the cats can initiate play with on their own, such as these:


https://www.amazon.com/Petmate-Crazy-Circle-Interactive-Large/dp/B0002AT5AO

https://www.amazon.com/Petstages-317-Tower-Tracks-Chase/dp/B00DT2WL26/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1487151213&sr=1-1&keywords=tower+of+tracks


Putting normal toys away when it isn't "playtime" also helps keep the cat from getting bored with the toys. And cats CAN be curious about the strangest things - they'll want to open cupboards and knock things off tables and investigate every box and bag that comes into the house. So if you take medicines or supplements, make sure the bottles are closed very firmly, and put away in a cupboard, things like that. If you have things that you collect (like statues or figurines) or if you have anything breakable, make sure it isn't sitting on a table where a cat can paw it off onto the ground! A cat will paw at/investigate everything. You can't protect them from everything, and no one can put away everything in their lives, but you can take a few precautions.


Another general word of advice I can give, and it's perhaps the most important one, is do not feed them kibble. No kibble at all. Feed canned food only (preferably grain-free). Kibble is terrible and leads to a number of health problems, including urinary tract problems, kidney problems, and chronic dehydration (which leads to constipation). Long story short, for the best health, cats should be fed a grain-free canned formula high in meat protein, which is closer to their normal, natural diet, and no kibble whatsoever. Even the worst canned food is miles better than the "best" high-quality gourmet kibble. Kibble has no benefits at all. It is worth the $$$ to feed a canned food diet, you will save money in vet bills and dental cleanings overall.


The reason for wet food is this - cats have a very low thirst drive, as they evolved from desert-dwelling animals, and have changed very little after our "domestication" of them - genetically and physically, they're still pretty much 99% their ancestors. A wild feline is designed to get almost all of its moisture needs out of its prey (meat, blood) and thus has very little "urge" to drink. Even if you think a cat is drinking enough, it's not. Any cat on kibble is in a state of dehydration - they simply do not drink enough to make up for it.


The other benefit of high-protein, grain-free canned foods is that they have actual MEAT proteins, and will provide good, usable nutrients to your cats, instead of useless bulky grains and carbs. Most kibbles are mostly grains, which means they pass through the cat's digestive tract without being digested. The cat derives no nutritional value from them. On a good meaty canned food, cats will eat their meals and feel more appropriately full, because their bodies are able to actually digest the food they're eating. With kibble, especially free-fed kibble, a cat will always eat more than you realize they are, because they can't digest half of what they're eating, so they constantly feel hungry, because they're literally not getting the proper nutrition from their food.


Also - having cats on a species-appropriate diet will have one other benefit. Their poops will smell a LOT less! (On a raw diet, the poops will be small, dry, whitish, and they will have no smell at all. No joke. I can stick my entire head in the litterbox seconds after my cat drops a deuce and I can't smell a thing.) Cats bury their waste instinctively to protect themselves from being found by predators and competitors (other cats), so their bodies are designed to digest protein very efficiently and thus they will produce less waste and less smell when on an appropriate diet. And every cat owner wants a less stinky litterbox!


Fish is not an appropriate diet for cats - do not feed a food that is primarily fish or high in fish. Cats build up mercury in their bodies far faster than humans do, since they are smaller, plus fish causes other issues: http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-fish-is-dangerous-for-cats/


Get vet checkups at least once a year (including dental checks/cleaning), and have her microchipped and have her wear a collar with ID tags at all times, even if you intend for her to be fully indoors. I have two friends, one in Arizona and the other in California, both who refused to put collars/ID tags on their cats because "oh, they'll never get out!" (One friend didn't even spay her cat, she was THAT convinced the cat would never escape.) Of course, both sets of cats got out - in Arizona through the carelessness of another family member, and in California as the result of a burglary that left a window smashed. One friend only found one of her cats. The other found hers, but the cat had gotten pregnant in the meantime. So, all cats should wear collars and ID tags, because no matter how careful YOU are, bad luck still happens!


Make sure you familiarize yourself with foods that are toxic to cats and keep them away from the cat - these include xylitol, chocolate, onions, garlic, and alcohol. As I mentioned before, many houseplants are toxic as well, such as poinsettias and lilies. Citrus fruits are toxic to cats. Many "essential oils" are also toxic to cats, so if you use scented oils or essential oils (such as tea tree oil), be careful.


Don't use a covered/hooded litterbox. It is inhumane for the cat - it's like asking the cat, who has a much more sensitive nose than ours, to use an unflushed public toilet that is located inside of a closed phone booth. Even just ONE other pee/poop in the box turns a covered box into a festering stinkhole for a cat's sensitive nose. Just think about it objectively - would you want to use the toilet if you hadn't flushed it the last time you went? Just scoop often - at LEAST once a day - and you will not have stink problems.


For the same reason, avoid "scented" litters - the scent may be nice to us, but cats aren't into "Fresh Linen" - it's just an overwhelming chemical cacophony to their noses.


I've used two brands of litter exclusively for years - Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra, and EverFresh Unscented with Activated Charcoal. The EverFresh is what I use with my indoors cat, and my outdoors cat uses the Dr. Elsey's. My younger (indoors) cat also goes to my office three or four days a week with me, and I use the Dr. Elsey's in her litterboxes there (again, no stink buildup there either). I have been supremely happy with both brands. You really get what you pay for to a certain degree with cat litter. Cheap litter is going to be cheaply crappy.


But on the flipside, those super fancy "special" litters - like the ones made from pine, corn, wheat, or newspaper - can be hazardous, as they provide a substrate for bacteria to grow when the cat urinates on them. There's zero chance of that with clay litter.


Here are the activated charcoal bags and "odor absorbers" I use near my litterboxes:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZLV7BH/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006975FTY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0145KS23W/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


You may want to get multiple litterboxes. The "general rule of thumb" is one box per cat plus one. Scoop every day! You can invest in rolls of "doggie-doo bags" like these - https://www.amazon.com/Bags-Board-Waste-Pick-up-Refill/dp/B000UCU53U I open one bag and put it next to me when I'm scooping the box. I drop the poops and pee-clumps into the doggie-doo bag, then tie off the bag and toss it! It helps keep stink to a minimum inbetween trash pickup days, and it's more sanitary than just dumping the bits straight into the trash can.


I also have my litterboxes on litter mats. They will save your sanity. This is my favorite one so far:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AUU90K0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


A litter mat REALLY helps "catch" most tracked-out litter. I've also got one of these mats, which is great for its size but isn't AS easy to clean:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016PHLNRA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


That's all I can think up off the top of my head for now :} I'm definitely no cat expert, but feel free to ask any other questions you might have!