Showing posts with label Pet-Related Product Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pet-Related Product Reviews. Show all posts

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How To Keep Aging Cats Happy & Healthy #ShebaCat #shop #cbias


I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This SHEBA cat food shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study about happy and healthy cats for Collective Bias and their client.

Two of our three cats are getting on in years.  They are moving more slowly and are no longer jumping up high.  Overall, they are less active than they were during their younger days.  One of them is also starting to not chew his food very much and sometimes it comes back up.  We had been feeding our cats quality dry cat food formulated for improving digestive health, but recently we became open to giving moist cat food a test run.  SHEBA cat food contains no grains or corn, so we decided to see how well our beloved cats would do with quality moist food.

One of the main reasons we did not serve moist cat food to our cats in the past was because we thought it would be too costly.  Then I discovered that, if I stocked up on cans of cat food when there is a coupon available or when they are on sale, then cost is not really an issue.  I found the single SHEBA cat food cans at Walmart for just $.50 each (love when I find rollback prices) plus there is a SHEBA cat food coupon available for a free can when you buy six.  Some stores even carry value packs.

Many pet owners say that cats need variety and others say their cats do not care for change.  Personally, I think it varies from one cat to another.  We decided to buy several different varieties of SHEBA to see which ones our cats liked the most.  The pâté is ground food, while the 'cuts' are whole pieces and chunks.  We knew the pâté would be easier to eat, but we decided to try the Tuna Entrée cuts first.  Needless to say, taste was not an issue.  So far, all 3 cats seem to have taken to the food well, without any stomach issues.  The results were the same when we tried the Salmon Entrée pâté.  With each serving, our cats licked the dish clean.  It was wonderful to see all 3 so happy, but we were also relieved that this food seems easier to keep down for our male cat.  Another plus is that it is easier to control his portions this way, rather than leaving dry food out all the time.  (He is a little on the robust side.)

In addition to giving our cats quality food, we do our best to keep them active.  Even when they do not want to move, they simply cannot resist a laser pointer or their favorite feathers-on-a-stick toy.  When they have had enough, they sit or lay down to let us know, while still keeping one eye on the toy.

Something else I've noticed about our aging cats is that they cannot groom themselves like they used to.  This could be because they are less flexible or because they are rounder than they once were.  Even though they may protest at first, they will always allow us to brush them or use the grooming mitt on them.

Not all our cats like to play with cat toys beyond the laser pointer, but our male cat does.  He loves to hug and rub his face on crinkly pillow toys, especially if there is catnip in them.

One last thing we do to make sure our aging cats are happy is to give them multiple places to retreat to when they want quiet.  This is usually our bedroom. I often find them sleeping on or under our bed.  We also make sure there are several windows around the house, where they can climb up to sit and look outside.  Two of our three cats are a little on the large side, so we make sure there is furniture in front of the windows, since the two larger ones cannot fit on the windowsills comfortably.  Whenever possible, we try to at least crack the windows because our cats seem to enjoy the fresh air.

What do you do to keep your cats happy and healthy?


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A Special Delivery From Santa . . . Canidae Felidae TidNips Cat Treats!


Our cats are strangely picky when it comes to cat treats.  I have eventually stopped buying crunchy treats altogether since they seemed not to really like any of them.  There does not seem to be as many soft treats to choose from as crunchy treats and I had only found one soft treat that all 3 cats seemed to love.  Ideally, I would have at least two options for cat treats on hand in case history repeats itself and the cats decide they are bored with eating the same treats month after month.  Well, this year Santa granted my wish!

By Santa, I mean Chewy.com (formerly Mr. Chewy).  They had sent some Felidae TidNips cat treats by Canidae for us to include in our cats' stocking stuffers.  I was so very surprised that all 3 of our cats seem to love these treats.  Instead of turning their noses up at something new, they did not hesitate to eat them all up.  In fact, they have been circling like sharks since Christmas morning every time I walk into the kitchen.


Canidae TidNips dog and cat treats are all-natural, nutritious, and made in the U.S.  To view the varieties available, visit Chewy.com, who always offers free 1 to 2 day shipping on orders of $49 or more.  If you purchase pet food and supplies regularly, you can save 15% off your first order when you try using Chewy.com's scheduled delivery option.


Thank you to Chewy.com for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.



Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

The Neater Feeder Keeps Pet Food and Water Messes Contained


We have some messy cats, in particular, one super-messy cat. Our youngest cat, Sagwa, is compelled to get as much water from the water bowl into the food as possible for some reason. She makes such a mess we used a boot mud tray to keep the bowls on to help contain the mess.


We have tried various things to keep Sagwa from making this mess.  Some have helped, but nothing has actually prevented it. I don't know if you have ever smelled moldy "dry" cat food before, but it is quite unpleasant. When we had the opportunity to try the Neater Feeder mess-proof feeders, I could not be more pleased.


We received a Neater Feeder Small (dog size, we have some really big cats) and it is the perfect size. Although the one we have is ideally sized, I don't know how people could use the smaller cat sized one unless they had some very small cats. The colors are handsome and conservative and would not be out of place in most kitchens. The Neater Feeder also comes with a set of feet for taller or larger pets (we didn't need to use ours for the cats).

The unit sets up in moments and could not be simpler to use. The cats were not put off by the new arrangement and were feeding as normal shortly after we set the Neater Feeder up.


So how did the Neater Feeder do against our messy Sagwa? Pretty good I would say. The Neater Feeder does not prevent Sagwa from making her mess, but it contains it to one small place. All the water runs through the holes into the tray below, while any loose food stays in the top tray. I do need to clean up just as often as before, the difference now is that I just lift the food and water tray out and empty the bottom tray, very easy. As far as keeping the water out of the food bowl that is a different story, the Neater Feeder does nothing to prevent it.  But for full disclosure, nothing else has either and the Neater Feeder did not promise to do that.  Maybe they would consider making a new model that has the food and water bowl spaced apart further?

Overall the Neater Feeder is a great product and it does exactly as it promises: Contain your pet feeding messes and make clean up a snap. Now if something could just keep my Sagwa from emptying the water bowl into the food...

To determine which of the four sizes of Neater Feeder is the best fit for your pets, visit NeaterFeeder.com.  You can purchase this product on the Neater Feeder website and from Amazon.com, Especially For Pets, Petco, and other specialty retailers.


Thank you to Neater Feeder for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Hill's Science Diet Ideal Balance Mature Adult Cat Food is Easily Digestible


We have three large cats, two of them seniors. Any cat owner can tell you finding the right cat food is a challenge for one cat, let alone three cats. And to complicate things, one of our cats is not considered a senior and typically would get a different diet than the other two. Cat owners also know that trying to feed their cats different types of food is basically impossible. The challenge for us is to find a senior food that all three enjoy and works for the younger adult cat as well as the two seniors. Not an easy feat and we have had some successes and failures during our search.

When we had the opportunity to try Hill's Science Diet Ideal Balance Mature Adult Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner, I was very interested. Any animal owner knows the Hill's brands and I was curious to see how it rated against what we have tried in the past.


Although the food we were coming off was a high end premium brand and very good for the cats, it initially loosened their stools and produced some very smelly litter box messes. I know changing diets can do this, but some of those symptoms remained well into our use of the product. I was DYING to get past it!

The Ideal Balance Mature arrived and was an instant curiosity for the cats, they all lined up to try it right away so I immediately knew it had some appeal. The kibble is small and easily chewed by my senior cats (always a concern).


Changing the food again worried me and I was expecting more disruption in their digestion and kept a close eye on the litter box. To my surprise not only did the Ideal Balance Mature not cause any new disruption, it seemingly cleared up the existing symptoms from the prior diet. I can say I was utterly shocked and was not expecting such quick and dramatic positive change...from any food. I should mention the food it replaced is nearly twice the price per pound and considered ultra premium.

So far the cats have been eating the Ideal Balance Mature for about four weeks and we could not have been more pleased. I cannot say enough how quickly the Ideal Balance Mature cleaned up their digestive issues and we have yet to have loose or unusually smelly stools.

I HIGHLY recommend Hill's Science Diet Ideal Balance Mature for cats, as it has worked very well for our complex variety of cats needs.  For more information on both cat and dog products by Hill's, visit www.hillspet.com.


Thank you to Hill's Pet Nutrition for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.



Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Orijen Cat Food is Both Owner and Cat-Approved


We have a mix of senior and adolescent cats at home (2 seniors, 1 adolescent) and finding the right food is always a challenge. In the end we mix it up a bit and choose between 2-3 mid level or semi-premium foods of various flavors.

Although the brands we choose are decent (Nutro, Purina One, Iams), we have yet to try a truly premium food. I also do my best to stay away from gimmicks like holistic foods (sorry Wellness!). What I am truly interested in trying is an ultra premium food made and prepared with the same attention that human food is and from the same quality ingredients. Recently we had the chance to try such a cat food.

Mr. Chewy provided us with a 15.4 pound bag of Orijen 6 Fish cat food to try out. In my prior professional life I was a general manager of a well known big box pet store and consider myself knowledgeable in animal foods. I know what a quality food is and I must say I was pretty impressed when I opened the Orijen cat food when it arrived.


The first thing you notice is the smell, it hits you like a brick. It smells like bag of fish! And this is good! What do you smell when you open the food you are using now? I used to smell something like fish, but it also smelled like wheat or an unidentifiable sour odor. The reason why Origin has such a strong scent is because it is 80% fish! Most mid level foods contain maybe 20-25% actual meat, and much of that is from a dry meal. The remaining 20% in the bag is vegetation. There aren't any grains, gluten, or fillers of any kind in Orijen. And that brings me to my next observation.

The next most prominent aspect of this food is how dense and rich each kibble is. Why is this important? Well, ultra high quality ingredients and no fillers equals a food that is solid yet digestible. And highly digestible food means fewer trips to the litter box. The food gets turned into energy, muscle, and bones, not poops. I didn't even need to feed Orijen to my cats to know we received a quality food, but how did the cats like it?


The cats came running as the smell was quite obvious to them. At first they were cautious, if you know cats you know you don't just change their food. I can't imagine what I would have found in my bed that night if it didn't go over well. Well, I can say that I found no surprises on my pillow that night and the cats seem happy as clams. Their stool is smaller and more firm, no more surprise loose and unusually smelly poops.

Although we aren't through the big bag yet, the cats are loving Orijen and so am I. My eldest cat has been quite frisky and playful recently, it can't be a coincidence...

To learn more about this and other Orijen pet foods, visit MrChewy.com.


Thank you to Mr. Chewy for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.


Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Shop 'n' Share: Discovered the BEST Treats for Elderly Cats on MrChewy.com


For someone who shops so frequently online, it is a wonder why I have never purchased things like pet supplies via the Internet before.  When I received an invitation from MrChewy.com to give their pet supplies site a try, I could find no reason to decline.

If I had not been shopping on MrChewy.com, I would never have discovered Zukes Hip Action cat treats!  Two out of our three cats are over 14 years old. Even though they are in great health, I have noticed that they do not use their hind legs like they use to while jumping up on the furniture or going up and down the stairs.  These cat treats contain Glucosamine, which we had previously given to our elderly dogs.  It seemed like just what our cats needed to feel less stiff and achy in their hips.  Since our eldest cat is a little picky, I was worried that she would not like this new type of treat.  I made sure the treats were soft because she tends not to like the crunchy variety.  It turned out that these cat treats by Zukes were a huge hit with all of our cats.  They actually beg for them each time they see me walk into the kitchen.  For their weight category, they are each only allowed two treats per day and I keep other treats on hand for our younger cat, so she does not feel left out.


Now having shopped for pet supplies on MrChewy.com, I find it silly to not buy products like large bags of cat food and litter online.  The prices are competitive and this site offers Free Premium Shipping within the continental U.S. on orders over $49.  I placed my order on 12/21 and it was delivered to my door on 12/24.  I have to say that taking that 20lb bag of cat food from my front door to the kitchen is much easier than lugging it into the shopping cart at our local store, from the store to the car, and then from the car up the steps into the house.

I am grateful for discovering these Hip Action cat treats for our cats on MrChewy.com.  I am hoping that they will be adding the type of crystal non-clumping cat litter we use to their selection soon.  To learn more about their dog and cat supplies, visit MrChewy.com, MrChewy.com on Facebook, and MrChewy on Twitter.


Thank you to MrChewy.com for providing a gift certificate for us to shop and to experience their website and services.


Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

PetArmor Flea & Tick Protection

Like many pet owners, we have battled with fleas so we know how important flea protection is. We have tried every brand of flea prevention available and have had good results with some and very bad results with others. When PetArmor offered me their “Take a Hike” gift pack along with the chance to review their flea, tick and lice protection, I was happy to try it out; not only because it’s always nice to test this type of product without the upfront investment, but because PetArmor is priced well below other leading brands, so if it worked and we liked it, it would save us money in the long run.

PetArmor is the first EPA approved generic fipronil product used to treat both dogs and cats. It is sold through major retailers, such as Walmart, and offers a substantial savings to leading flea protection. PetArmor is available in two forms: PetArmor which kills fleas, ticks, and chewing lice and PetArmor Plus which kills fleas, flea larvae, flea eggs, ticks, and chewing lice.


I’ll admit that I was skeptical about whether PetArmor would work or not. We have been buying our flea/tick protection in a pill form because the topical kinds just don’t work for our animals. Happily, though, PetArmor proved me wrong. To do the study thoroughly, I gave one of my dogs the pill form, one an old tube of Frontline, and one PetArmor. The dog with Frontline still had fleas 3 days later, so I put on PetArmor and they disappeared within hours. My dog that was given the pill was flea free longer than the dogs that had PetArmor, but PetArmor is much more inexpensive, so that’s fine by me. Overall, I was very pleased with how PetArmor performed and will be purchasing it again.

You can buy PetArmor for dogs and cats at Walmart, Amazon.com, and Sam's Club.  Also, visit PetArmor on Facebook to take the PetArmor Pledge to protect your pets.  Each pledge taken will prompt a $1 donation to the ASPCA, up to $100,000.

Thank you to PetArmor for providing a complimentary product sample and gift pack for us to base this review upon and for providing a second gift pack for our contest prize.


What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive the "Take a Hike" Gift Pack . . .

The “Take a Hike” gift pack is valued at ($110), and includes a three-month sample new PetArmor (a $25 - $35 value), as well as the below items:

  • Sling-style backpack
  • Aluminum sports water bottle
  • Sunscreen (Coppertone SPORT, SPF 50)
  • Travel-friendly pet water bowl
  • Custom-printed pet bandanna (so they can hit the trail in style)
  • A waterproof digital camera (to capture the memories when hiking with your family)


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Browse the selection of flea and tick protection products offered by PetArmor. Then leave a comment telling me which product would be the right one for your dog or cat. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.


Extra Entries:
1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.


3)  For 10 extra entries, take the PetArmor Pledge on Facebook to protect your pets ($1 will be donated to the ASPCA). Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did.


4)  For 1 extra entry eachFriend me on Facebook and/or "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.


5)  For 1 extra entry each, follow PetArmor on Twitter and/or "Like" PetArmor on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.


7)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.


8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.


9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, July 18th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!





Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Review: Old Mother Hubbard Home-style Dog Treats

Old Mother Hubbard Baking Company started in Massachusetts over 80 years ago as a company producing healthy snacks for fishermen at sea. One day, a sailor threw one of his biscuits to his dog, who loved it, and a new idea was born. Today, Old Mother Hubbard bakes a wide variety of natural, delicious snacks and treats for dogs. They use all natural ingredients like chicken, cheese, apples, oats, and sweet potatoes and slowly oven-bake them to perfection.



Old Mother Hubbard sent us three of their many varieties (Classic Extra Tasty Assortment MiniSoft & Chewy Bitz Liver Recipe, and Mother's Solutions Skin & Coat) to try out, and my dogs were in love from the first bite. I was thrilled to see the ingredients on the packaging and for those ingredients to be healthy and natural. My dogs gobbled them up too and came back for seconds. And thirds. They preferred the soft and chewy ones over the crunchy bones, but certainly didn’t have any qualms with the bones.



You can buy Old Mother Hubbard dog snacks on their website, www.oldmotherhubbard.com, Petsmart, Petco, Amazon.com, and many other retailers of pet supplies.


Thank you to Old Mother Hubbard for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.


Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Review: Pet-Zzz-Pad Heating Pad for Dogs and Cats

Two of my three dogs are very cold-natured. Mogwai, my Yorkie/Chihuahua mix is especially so and we find him stealing our seats every time we move because it’s so warm and he is always curls up in someone’s lap to keep warm. When I was offered the Pet-Zzz-Pad, I immediately thought of Mogwai’s shivering, cold-natured, 2 ½ pound body and said yes. Pet-Zzz-Pad is a water resistant heating pad for animals that heats to the vet-recommended 102° to keep animals warm and comfy. The pad itself wipes clean and the cover is machine washable, so it will never get too dirty to keep around. It is also available in two sizes, to suit any pet under 25 pounds.

Initially when I got the Pet-Zzz-Pad, I put it on top of Mogwai’s favorite place to sleep, a big, fluffy pillow by my couch. The pad kept slipping off the pillow, so I decided it was better suited for the crate that Mogwai and Ruby, our mini-dachshund, share. I put it on Mogwai’s side, since he would benefit more from the overnight heat and Ruby likes to borough. Mogwai was in heaven the minute he laid on the weight-sensitive pad. Since he is so small, I was worried he wouldn’t be able to activate it, but he was.


Overall, both Mogwai and I love the pad. My only issue with it is that Ruby managed to chew through the cord, even though the website says it is protected with a steel, chew-resistant casing. Ruby is only 13 pounds, so I would imagine that if she can chew through it, it’s not very chew-proof. This only happened a couple nights ago, so we used it for a solid 3 weeks before she destroyed it. If you have a dog that doesn’t chew and could use extra warmth, this pad would be perfect.

You can learn more about Pet-Zzz-Pad on their website, www.petzzzpad.com. This product retails for $19.99.

Thank you to Petzzzpad for providing us with a complimentary product sample to base this review upon.



Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Living Green With Jerinda: Clean+Green Furniture Refresher for Pets

I am a sucker for trying Green cleaning products, so when I was offered Clean+Green Furniture Refresher for Dogs & Cats, I was thrilled. We have three dogs, two of which are little enough to be allowed on the furniture.   I also own a daycare, so our furniture takes a beating. We get all kinds of stains on our couch and have to clean it regularly. We don’t usually use harsh chemicals to clean in our home, but sometimes, when it comes to the furniture, we have to. I was very pleasantly surprised when Clean+Green thoroughly cleaned all the spots on my furniture without any of the toxic chemicals seeping into our home or environment.



SeaYu is a company that is run by Quincy, a mom and pet owner. With her large family flowing through the house, they too were bound to get stains. She deeply wanted to have a clean home, and we’re not just talking dirt, she wanted a non-toxic home. And so, SeaYu was born. She has worked hard to offer products that work, are easy to use, and are safe for all of life’s creatures.


Clean+Green Furniture Refresher can be used for many more things than just furniture such as pillows, carpets, trash cans, clothing, and more. For a limited time, this product is on sale for $7.99 on their website OdorAndStainRemover.com.  You can receive Free Shipping on an order of $30 or more.  Clean+Green products are also available for purchase on Amazon.com, CSN Stores, and at Petco.

Thank you to Clean+Green for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.