Life of Les

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I’ve always been a cat girl. I had my doll face persian, Stella, before I met my husband, but we ended up growing our little family with our tabby cat, Elland, last year just months before the birth of our first child. We rescued Elland off the side of the highway on a hot summer day when she was just a few weeks old. Her frail and sad physical state led us to take her in permanently despite my husband being already allergic to Stella. Needless to say, I’ve turned my husband into a big cat guy! Don’t worry – I talk about in another blog post how we minimize the difficulty he faces from being allergic to our feline friends. You might want to check it out here if you or your s/o is allergic to cats but still want to have the joy of having a cat!

Cats make great pets due to their simplicity in their desire, but sometimes it can be challenging to really achieve that “simplicity” because it looks different to each cat. Like elves have four main food groups (Elf, 2003), here’s a couple of things that we do/use to let them Eat, Drink, Use the Restroom, and Sleep (the 4 main activities that cats engage in) in purrfect contentment.

Eat: We use both dry and wet food that can be found here and here, respectively. I’ll post some benefits at the bottom to both of this article if you’re interested as to why we feed them both. In addition, we’ve found they’re happiest when they get both as part of their diets, and it helps us monitor how much they eat as well. We use a slow feeder plate for wet food that can be found here because Stella gets so exciting for wet food, she will engulf the food without chewing, and my sweet husband will get to clean up her throw-up within the hour! Any bowl works fine for the dry food- we aren’t fancy people, despite our cats being the consumers of fancy feast!

Drink: Having a water fountain is honestly a must-have if you own cats. When I first got Stella, I was constantly wiping up spilt water from the floor and filling up her bowl with water. And now with two cats, the competing over water would be out of control if it weren’t for a water fountain hiding the source of the water! Plus, they’re also super cheap and easy to clean and maintain. 10/10 recommend if you don’t already have one!

Use the Restroom: We kind of hit the jackpot with our cats and their ability to “get along”. We started them with separate litter boxes when we brought Elland home, however, we have since moved them into one litter box and they’re fine. I think it helps that our litter box resides in a nice little cubby cabinet in our laundry room that fits in with the décor of the room that can be found here. We use just a cheapy plastic litter box, but we do put liners in the bottom of the bin to make it cleanup simple. Any non-clumping cat litter is fine as it will help keep the poop scent down, but we use a deodorizer each day after scooping the poop out of the box. Maybe one day we’ll be able to buy an automated cat litter robot! Not only do our cats like the setup with the cat house their box resides in, it makes for a perfect and subtle location to hide the sight and smell of the infamous cat litter box.

Sleep: No real recommendations on anything. However, if you purchase any fancy feast, water fountain, or decorative cabinet/cat house, our cats would happily take a cat nap in the boxes those items ship in. I’d imagine yours would as well! We have tried beds and pillows for our cats to no avail, but have come to terms with providing cardboard boxes as the most desirable sleep option! Cats love boxes!

And for us humans, adding air filters to our home (especially in the bedroom) has helped my husband manage his allergies to our sweet little cats. One of the filters that are we use are quiet and if it weren’t for the improvement in air quality and breathing, you’d likely not even know that they were there!

Wet/Dry Food Benefits

Wet Cat Food:

• Hydration: Wet cat food has a higher moisture content, helping to keep your cat well-hydrated, which is especially beneficial for those who may not drink enough water.
• Palatability: Cats often find wet food more palatable due to its texture and aroma, making it a preferred choice for picky eaters or those with dental issues.
• Urinary Health: Increased moisture intake from wet food can support urinary tract health, reducing the risk of issues like urinary crystals or stones.
• Weight Management: Wet food can be beneficial for weight management as it often has fewer carbohydrates and higher protein content, helping to maintain lean muscle mass.

Dry Cat Food:

• Dental Health: The crunchy texture of dry cat food can contribute to better dental health by helping to reduce plaque and tartar buildup, promoting healthier gums and teeth.
• Convenience: Dry cat food is convenient for pet owners as it has a longer shelf life, doesn’t require refrigeration, and is easy to measure and store.
• Cost-Effective: Dry cat food is generally more cost-effective than wet food, making it a budget-friendly option for cat owners.
• Nutrient Density: Dry cat food is often more calorie-dense, allowing cats to meet their nutritional needs with smaller portions, which can be beneficial for weight control.