Month: May 2022

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How to Safely Give Your Cat Outdoor Playtime

Is It Safe to Take My Cat Outside?

Some cats just love to get outside and will attempt to bolt out the door any chance they get. These sneaky escape artists can make it difficult to keep them safe. Many people know that there are dangers to a cat being indoor-outdoor as opposed to living a solely indoor lifestyle.

Letting your cat outside can cut their average lifespan in half, however, making it too risky for most loving cat owners to justify. It can become a problem, though, when it’s a battle of will, wits and speed between you and your cat.

Risk and Benefits of Taking Your Cat Outdoor

Cats evolved outdoors and have spent tens of thousands of years napping under the sun and stars during their time alongside humans. They’re physically and mentally programmed to benefit from spending time outdoors.

Getting some outdoor playtime can be great for your cat’s mental health. It can reduce unwanted behaviors such as aggression to humans or other animals, inappropriate scratching or urine marking and just reduce their overall stress levels.

However, uncontrolled outdoor access has been shown to lead to a whole host of negative outcomes. Not only is the outside filled with predators, parasites and other diseases they could contract, but according to the National Traffic Safety Administration 5.4 Million cats are hit by cars each year in the United States alone. Then there are the toxins they could ingest, the possibility of getting lost or stolen by other humans and the damage they do to the local wildlife.

Don’t let all the negatives scare you though! Letting your cat have supervised outdoor play time can make for a happy and healthy cat when done right. Here are some ways to let your cat get the sun they crave while reducing risk factors.

Harness & Leash

Training your cat to walk on a harness and leash isn’t too hard, especially if you start when they’re kittens. If you start early and repeat the action often, it highly increases your chances of your cat taking to this method.

Some cats will take to it really well while others just don’t care for it. If your cat is in the second group, don’t worry. There are other ways to get them some time in the sun safely.

Even if harnesses aren’t for every cat, it’s still something worth trying with all new kittens.

Pro-tip: Bring a well-liked toy out with you. Whether a laser pointer, stick teaser, or something else, it can be the exact tool you need to get your cat used to this new dynamic. Use the toy to lead the cat around. Stay in a familiar environment to begin and you can slowly expand your radius. Some cats will enjoy going on outings while others may prefer just a short walk to the end of the block. Take it at their pace and keep it a positive experience!

A Safe Space

A catio (cat patio) is the ideal place for your cats to get the best of both worlds. It provides the safety of the inside world with the sunny warmth of the outside world. Having a fully enclosed space ensures that there are no risks while they bask in the sun. This can be expensive and unattainable for a lot of cat owners though, so it may not be a fix if creating this kind of space isn’t in the budget.

A more budget-friendly option is a pop-up enclosure. This gives your cat the outside time that they crave in a safe manner. However, these are relatively small which may not make for an ideal experience for some cats.

Supervision

Supervised outside time is something that we can all do though and it doesn’t cost a thing. It can’t prevent all accidents, but our presence keeps away most predators that would go after a housecat. This approach keeps your cats within a small radius and away from most dangers.

This method, again, can be cat-dependent. Some cats will wander off while others will stay close in order to keep their freedom. Training and positive reinforcement are important here. Where you live may also impact whether or not this is a viable option.

Just this week one of our cats, Litten, decided to go wander into the neighbor’s yard and disappeared from sight in less than a minute. So even if you’re giving your cats supervised free reign, it’s still important to keep an even closer eye on your cats more prone to wander.

ID

Your cat needs to be easily identifiable just in case they get away. There’s a lot of debate about a tag versus a microchip. You could choose between one or the other, but whenever possible, both is best.

Not everyone knows to take a cat somewhere to have them scanned for a microchip, but it’s something that can’t get lost or removed and can help to prove ownership.

If you get your cat microchipped, make sure you register it correctly or it won’t provide much aid in reuniting you and your cat.

An engraved tag with your information will make it so that your cat is easy to return to you in most cases. However, since cats need to use breakaway collars, it’s easy for their tag to get lost, especially if they’re outside. Having both a personalized tag and a microchip on your cat gives you the best chance of getting them back home safely.

Having your cat chipped and tagged is the best option whether or not your cat typically goes outside. It only takes a second for them to run out the door and a cat without some form of ID is very unlikely to make it back home if they get lost.

While there are pros and cons for each option, they’re all significantly safer than letting your cat free roam around the neighborhood unsupervised. For many cat owners, a combination of these things provides the best results that put the least stress on both cat and owner alike. Do what’s best for you and your cats. (And remember, if they’re happy staying inside all the time, there’s no reason to push to change this!)

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Why Does My Cat Drink From the Faucet?

Cats are said to hate water. In many cases, this is true as some cats just don’t like to get wet. Because of this, it can be surprising when you see your cat hanging out at the sink or in the tub. They risk getting wet for the opportunity to drink from the faucet. If you’ve ever wondered why they like drinking from faucets so much and maybe felt a little tempted to try it yourself, get ready to find out what makes running water so appealing to felines.

Running Water Is Safer

Running water is known for being a safer option than standing water. Stagnant water can quickly become a transmission vector for bacteria, parasites and other creepy crawlies (brain-eating amoeba, anyone?) that even cats know to stay away from.

While the bowl of municipally treated and chlorinated water you put out for ol’ Tom won’t become a petri dish the way a puddle would outside, it’s something that house cats instinctually stay away from. Even in a safe environment, it can still be cleaner to drink running water over what’s in the bowl. Pieces of food, loose hairs, or other impurities can easily end up in a water bowl no matter how often you clean it out. These concerns aren’t present when drinking running water.

Temperature

Water straight from the tap is typically colder than the room-temperature water that’s found in their bowl. Since running water is being pumped to your fauced through underground pipes, it tends to remain a little cooler than the water in your cat’s bowl. If they’re feeling particularly hot or dehydrated, cool water will feel much more refreshing for them just like it does for us.

Taste

It’s easy to say that all water tastes the same, but most of us know that it isn’t true. A recently poured glass of water is going to be fresher than one that’s been sitting out all day.

Even drinking out of a glass will taste different than drinking out of stainless steel or plastic. The same goes for filtered versus unfiltered water. The differences may seem subtle, but they can be pretty important to some cats, and even humans too.

How To Get Your Cat To Drink More Water Without Leaving The Faucet Running

If you’re cat enjoys drinking water from the faucet but scorns their freshly filled bowl, don’t dispare. There are a few tricks you can try to keep them hydrated without breaking the bank by keeping the faucet running all day long.

Experiment With The Bowl

Move the bowl. Try a new bowl. Get bowls made out of different materials. Cats can be finicky around drinking water and sometimes it’s due to the bowl itself. While no one has yet discovered whether it’s the size, shape, texture or smell of the bowl that makes a difference, all that is known is that some cats are only willing to eat and drink out of an approved bowl that is definitely not the one they have right now and absolutely not in the spot you chose for it.

While this is the simplest and most straight forward solution, it tends to have the lowest success rate.

Drinking Fountains

A different approach with a much higher success rate is investing in a drinking fountain for your cat. This provides fresh running water that is constantly being run through a drinking-grade filtration system.

Getting a kitty drinking fountain covers a lot of their issues at once and ensures that your cat is getting exactly what they want.

Replace The Water

Even if it doesn’t look dirty, replace the water. Replace it as often as possible throughout the day. This will keep your cat’s water both cooler and fresher. The fresher the water is, the more likely your cat will be to drink it. This can solve the problem, but it becomes a hassle with how often some cats want it refreshed. It may not even be a feasable option with many people’s work schedules.

Drinking from the faucet is a natural instinct for many cats, even if it can be somewhat of a hassel for their humans. Although it might seem weird to us, now you know the reasons why your cat likes to do it. Tap water checks off all of the boxes that a conveniently placed bowl doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean your cat will never drink their water from a bowl. Keep that water fresh, keep trying new bowls and locations or give your kitty the luxory of a cat drinking fountain!

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The Cultured Cats’ Favorite Budget-Friendly Cat Food

Budget-Friendly Cat Food Recommendations from Our Cats to Yours!

Different cats have different tastes. This can make finding foods that work for everyone in the clowder can be somewhat difficult. However, there are certain things to try to look for in terms of cat food. Ingredients, guaranteed analysis, and price are some of the most important factors that you have to look at when it comes to picking out a wet cat food. Taste is important for the cat(s) as well, but it’s hard to know the reaction to that without trying it out. These are some of the tried and true favorites by The Cultured Cats.

Is It Necessary?

It may seem like a more expensive food that’s often viewed as more of a treat, but it can be extremely crucial to your cat’s overall health. Cats may love to eat, but they don’t tend to be great water drinkers. Many cats won’t choose to regularly drink enough water to keep there bodies hydrated. In fact, many ailments that cats face are due to the fact that they’ll allow themselves to be chronically dehydrated. Wet foods provide added moisture that help to keep cats hydrated and which also keeps them healthier.

Ingredients

Cats are obligate carnivores. Because of this you want as many of the ingredients to be meat as possible. The first ingredients are the most important as these are the things of the highest concentration. Therefore, these are the ones to be the most mindful of.

Guaranteed Analysis

Guaranteed analysis tells you how much of some of the most important components are present in the cat food. This is similar to the nutrition label on our food. Protein, moisture, and fat are the most crucial points to look at. Ideally, your cat’s wet food will have at least 9% protein, 7% fat, and 75% moisture. Many foods won’t hit all of these points, but try to get as close to them as possible. The fat levels often fall short, so make sure that if their wet food isn’t providing everything they need, they are getting it in other foods that are being offered.

Budget

It’s easy to pick out the top rated cat foods, but budget is often left out of the conversation. So many people will run to opposite ends of the spectrum rather than finding a happy medium. There are pricey foods that will hit all of the points and it’s great if you can afford to constantly give your cat these things. However, this isn’t possible for many pet owners. That doesn’t mean you should go and grab corn-dense snack foods from the bottom shelf though. There are in between options that will more easily fit into the budget while giving your cat the best nutrition possible.

The Cultured Cats Favorites

The Cultured Cats have a variety of dietary needs and your cats probably do too. We have two with sensitive stomachs, one who will only eat if the food remains highly varied, and one who will eat absolutely anything. (Thank you, Litten!) We try to balance these factors as best all of the above factors for our cats. They eat one meal of wet food per day and also have access to an appropriate amount of high quality dry food throughout the day. These are the best wet foods for cats as voted on by our clowder.

*All foods on this list are up to the standards of the AAFCO to ensure that your cat is getting the nutrition that they need in order to thrive.

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com at no extra cost to our users.


Tiki Cat After Dark

Tiki Cat After Dark Variety Pack has something that all the cats like. The pack comes with 5 flavors. At least the first 5 ingredients of each of the flavors are meat ingredients making it a very natural diet for cats in terms of packaged foods. It’s a high-quality shredded food in chicken broth. The moisture is this food is really high ranging from 81-83% depending on the flavor. The protein is also higher than in most canned cat foods ranging from 12-13.4%. The fat levels are lower than ideal at only 2-2.4%. Cats love the taste and the ingredients are really top notch. This is an all-around great choice. However, it’s not as easy on the budget as many of the other options.

Purina One True Instinct

Purina One True Instinct is the go-to budget food that all of the cats enjoy. Each flavor has 80% moisture, 11% protein, and 4% fat according to the guaranteed analysis. This tends to be the food that they devour the quickest. The ingredients are include three of the first five ingredients being meat-based. The fat is low, but for the price, this is a really well-balanced option.

Blue Buffalo Tastefuls

Blue Buffalo Tastefuls are really reasonably priced for how great the ingredients are. Four of the first five ingredients are meat-based and the outlier is just some water for extra moisture. The biggest downfall is that this food has one of the lowest protein levels ranging at 9-10% depending on the flavor. The fat content is pretty variable ranging at 2-4%. It has 82% moisture content with both broth and water as top ingredients making this a great mid-priced option for cats prone to dehydration.

Fancy Feast Petites

Our cats seem to believe that Fancy Feast Petites are a treat rather than just any other meal. These are super convenient in their pre-portioned packages. Four of the first five ingredients are meat based and the price for the variety pack is fair. The guaranteed analysis lists the protein at 10%, the fat at 2%, and the moisture at 82%. This is another high moisture choice for cats prone to dehydration and seems to be a crowd-pleaser in terms of taste.

Instinct Original Grain Free

Instinct Original Grain Free seems to check all of the boxes in terms of nutrition for cats. It boasts 95% meat ingredient content. It has one of the best guaranteed analysis statistics layouts that we’ve seen with 10% protein, 7.5% fat, and 78% moisture. It’s extremely well-balanced and grain free too. The box isn’t the best on the budget, but it’s not astronomically high either. The biggest downfall for the food is that it’s a pate. For this reason, The Cultured Cats likely wouldn’t vote for this option as much as us humans would. They don’t particularly care for pate and some of them need to be coaxed to eat it. However, if a cat is fine with pate foods, this is a really great choice all-around.

Different cats will have different tastes so there’s no need to remain loyal to a single brand. There are varying qualities of food and the price between them can also fluctuate widely, meaning you have to consider all these factors when deciding which food is best for your cats.

These are some of our cats’ 5 favorite foods. Comment below and let us know which foods your cats prefer!

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All About Catpacks

Whether at the mall, the park or on the way to a kitty play date, catpacks are gaining popularity as a way for people to bring along their cats or other small pets on their everyday adventures.

Catpacks, short for cat backpacks, provide a safe space for your furry friend that’s easy to carry along with you wherever you go. Clunky box carriers can feel clumsy and tend to awkwardly crash into your legs and there are some places where harnesses aren’t a safe alternative. If you’ve ever wanted to travel with your cat, either across the country or around town, a catpack can make any adventure fun and easy!

Why Get a Catpack?

Catpacks are one of the most convenient ways to carry your cat around. From a trip to the vet to a walk through town, cat backpacks are a great option for letting your cat experience the outside world safely. They can even be used alongside a harness to give your cat a place to decompress and relax during a longer outing, such as a cat-led hike.

Catpacks even fit the size restrictions to get approved for travel on select airlines. Most catpacks will fit under airplane seats.

Are There Any Risks With Catpacks?

The risks when using a catpack are low. Cats securely enclosed in a catpack are out of harm’s way and close to their human during outings. However, there are a few factors to consider when deciding on a catpack.

Be Mindful of Heat

The greenhouse effect is what makes it get hotter inside your car than outside on a sunny day. Since cat backpacks have clear windows, this is a possibility with catpacks too.

On particularly hot and humid days it can be dangerous to stay outside too long with your cat in a catpack. This can be made worse if your adventure will take place primarily in high-sun areas. Our cat-safe catpacks are vented for air exchange so it’ll never be as hot as a fully enclosed car, but without precautions, it could still be dangerous for your kitty. Never put your catpack down in direct sunlight and never, never leave your cat unattended inside.

On hot days, you should take extra care to check on your cat. Carry a travel water bottle and a harness and leash. This allows you to let the cat out for periods of time and hydrate. Dehydration is one of the most common problems for cats in general so ensure that your cat isn’t suffering from it. If you’re going to be out for a while, it’s a good idea to carry some wet food and a travel bowl. Most cats will eat more than they’re willing to drink. The wet food has decent moisture to help avoid dehydration in cats.

Know Your Cat

Some cats are completely happy being on full display. They’ll show off for anyone who will look at them. Many cats prefer to be able to hide, though. This isn’t exactly a safety issue but it’s something to think of for the sake of your cat’s overall well-being. It may impact exactly which catpack is the right pick for both of you.

While you may get excited about helping your cat see the world, they may feel anxious about it. They’re no longer near their comfortable territory and there may be unfamiliar people. This can be a really scary experience for some cats, so it’s important to be mindful of their individual personalities and needs.

What’s the Best Catpack?

The Cultured Cat has a variety of catpack designs and styles available. Each has its place and the best one really depends on what works best for you and your cat. Maybe you just want the cutest option. Your cat may be a known escape artist. You may have a particularly shy cat who wants the ability to hide. There are valid reasons for choosing each of our catpacks depending on your individual cat’s needs.

Bubble Window Catpack

The Bubble Window Catpack gives your cat the ability to see everything on any adventure. This gives max visibility to the social cat who is happy to be seen in any and all environments. It’s known for being one of the lightest weight catpacks and is available in 6 different colors.

Extendable Window Catpack

It may look pretty much identical to the Bubble Window Catpack, but the Extendable Window Catpack has a well-kept secret. Whenever you stop to rest, you’re able to unzip the back portion to fold out some extra legroom for your cat. They then have the space to sprawl out safely within their own little compartment. It’s the kitty condo of catpack travel and it’s available in 9 different colors!

Space Dome Catpack

The Space Dome Catpack is known for being cats’ overall fan favorite. It gives your cat the option to hide if they aren’t particularly fond of being on display throughout the adventure. Select colors are even available with a zipper-lock design to keep even the sneakiest escape artists safely where they belong. Due to its popularity, this catpack style is our fastest-growing product line. Currently, there are over a dozen different options including paint splatter, geometric-shaped catpacks, animal prints, solid colors, and more.

Penguin Catpack

Our line of Penguin Catpacks is the quirky new addition to the family. It’s super cute and has a well-ventilated medium-sized window. It doesn’t offer room to fully hide, but your cat won’t be on full display if they choose to lay down, either. (At the very least, they don’t need to look at anything they don’t want to! ????) It’s a great in-between option if you’re torn between the full window or giving your cat the ability to fully hide in their catpack.

As long as you and your cat follow safety guidelines and choose the bag that best fits your needs, a catpack will be your new favorite shared accessory. Travel without having to leave your best friend behind and enjoy your new adventures together!