Do Cat Owners Really Need These Things?
I recently bought a cat. I've never paid for a pet before, but after my sweet Fifi passed away, I wanted to be sure my next cat would be as affectionate and lovable and good with the kids as he was. (Yes, Fifi was a he. But that's another story.) So, I bought a registered Ragamuffin cat...and somehow got on the mailing list for every cat catalog imaginable. The THINGS they sell cat owners -- it's amazing; where do they come up with this stuff?!
I've owned cats all my life, and until Toby came along, they were all stray mutt cats. Not that I didn't think they were worth it, but they seemed to get along just fine eating cheap Cozy Kitten catfood and drinking water out of some old Tupperware bowls. But now that I have joined the league of frou-frou pedigreed cat owners, I guess some savvy marketers think that I'm in the market for every gadget and gizmo that money can buy.
Do people actually buy this stuff?
- Bubble Kitty, the gun that shoots out catnip-scented bubbles. Requires no batteries. Refill again and again with non-staining (thank goodness!), catnip-smelling solution. $8.99 for the gun, $3.99 for 8 ounces of refill bubbles.
- Kitty Litter Screen, a tri-folding plastic screen (think of those cardboard car windshield shades) covered in one of four attractive patterns. Yes, it's a 19" high screen you prop in front of the cat litter box to hide it. Like the smell wouldn't give it away.
- Pet Solution RX, an "all-natural first-aid spray." Touted as a treatment for scrapes, burns, cuts, and bites. Also useful, they say, for cleaning ears and neutralizing pet odors. "Good for pets of all ages." Active ingredient? Electrolyzed water. And just $19.99 for 24 ounces -- whadda bah-gin!
- Vitacal, "extra energy for kittens or stressed cats." Because kittens never seem to have enough energy. The picture shows a cat happily licking away at a toothpaste-shaped tube. Doesn't look like the owner is paying much attention to the recommended daily dose (1-3 tsps per 10 pounds of body weight). Just $3.99, and your kittens will have MORE ENERGY! Just what you need!
- Catnip Cruisers, a plastic toy in one of three animal shapes, that dispenses catnip as it rolls. "Zooms across the floor as cats frantically try to catch the trail of catnip it leaves." A. Do I want my cat frantic? B. How hard it is to catch something that's leaking all over the floor? and C. Do I WANT catnip trailed all over my floor? $3.49 for the toy, $30 for the Dustbuster to clean up after it.
- Stink-Finder, a battery-operated blacklight designed to illuminate pet stains. Has a convenient carrying strap, and just $19.99! Whoever knew cat pee glowed in the dark? And thank goodness for that carrying strap...don't know if I could handle lugging that 10.5" flashlight from room to room without a carrying strap! Good for the cat owner with no sense of smell, I guess. And speaking of no sense of smell:
- Feliway Comfort Zone Plug-in, which diffuses a liquid that mimics cats' "friendly pheromones" to relax them (after you've gotten 'em hyped up on vitamins and catnip), and yet is odorless to humans. An odorless diffuser. And just $27.99, plus $15.99 for refills!
- Kitty City, an 8'x9' cat play structure that includes a 6.5' multi-story condo, 5.5' cat tree, 4.5' tower, food and water dishes, a cat bed crow's nest, and two ramps. Catnip treated, too. $479.99! Can I just say here that my first car cost only 500 bucks? Granted, it was a Ford Pinto, but still...
And finally, something I've found I really COULD use:
- Kitty Keyboard Cover, an impact resistant acrylic cover for your keyboard to keep it kitty-free when you're not at the computer. Toby the lap-cat has some resentment issues toward Toshiba the lap-top. I think this one might be worth the $9.99 investment. ;)
Posted by at April 23, 2005 08:49 PM
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