6 Cat Products I Regret Buying
Ok, regret is a strong word. Ain’t no learning like real life experience, right? But it does feel icky to buy stuff that doesn't work and thereby add to environmental waste (we try to donate or repurpose if paw-sible, but some stuff is not amenable to either).
Now, keeping in mind that cats are the consummate individuals — “Individuality, thy name is Cat,” as Thomas McNamee poetically proclaimed in The Inner Life of Cats — so, I've only included products with a design or fundamental execution flaw. Because, alas, the list of Junipurr-disapproved products would go on for days.
Disclaimer - I have no affiliations with or ill feelings towards any of these products or brands (or any brands at all, actually), and I want to acknowledge that much effort goes into product development. However, as a type A cat parent, I feel a responsibility to share candid reviews. If you have a different experience with these products, or if you know great alternatives, please do share in the comments below!
So, from mild to egregious, here are 6 cat products on my Byeee list:
Feliway diffuser - Before you riot, if this product works for you, YAYAY! It was, in fact, recommended to me separately by a cat specialist vet and a speciality pet store manager, so I had a high hopes for its ability to “comforts and reassures cats by … emulating the natural pheromones released by a mother cat to calm her kittens.“ And trust, we tried the plug-in diffuser, th spray, the classic version, and the multicat version. NOPE. Since Junipurr is also one of the 30% of cats who don’t respond to catnip, I chalked it up as yet another sign that Juni is a weirdo (my precious little weirdo, that is). Until I saw this review of clinical studies on Feliway’s efficacy by the esteemed Cat Behavior Consultant Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado. Don’t got time to read? I’ll clue you in with the title: “Another study shows that Feliway doesn’t work.” Juni may be a weirdo, but she’s also a discerning, not easily scammed weirdo (again, if Feliway works for your kitties, I’m genuinely happy for you :).
Too-short tunnel - If you perused the Resources tab, you’ll know that I am a huge fan of tunnels for ground level enrichment. However, check your measurements, folks! Kittens quite rapidly transform into full-grown cats, and tunnels like this popular one on Amazon that is 2 x 10 x 10 inches will last you a few seconds before your furbaby has a word with you about upgradin’. So, do yourself, your wallet, and the Earth a favor and just get a durable LONG one from the jump. If you already have a short tunnel, fret not: You can combine multiple tunnels in ever-changing configurations, thereby creating a fabulous ground-level secret highway.
This cat stroller - My full stroller training saga with Junipurr is to come, but to give a sneak peek, here are two egregious flaws for any pet stroller: (1) all wheels should be securely attached and not come off spontaneously/frequently; (2) the closing mechanism should be easy to operate and not glitchy. This stroller offends on both of those accounts.
This litter mat - In high school, a friend watching me wipe down my lunch tray with an alcohol wipe (this was well before covid, people) said: “You are like that character in ‘Monk’.” As a scaredy cat, I stay far away from any show that is even vaguely crime related, but I am aware of the implications of clean freak in that statement. And I have no qualms about ‘fessing up to be a totally reasonable and easy-going germaphobe 😸. I say this to share: I am on a mission to create a free and engaging enviro for Juni while also maintaining MUSEUM-LIKE CLEANLINESS (Is that so much to ask?! No, friend. When there’s a will, there a way ;) This litter mat was a part of the solution, I thought. And while for the first week it did reduce the litter you-know-who tracked out of the litterbox to the rest of the house by about 65% (it was never 💯), it quickly began showing its limitations — one, it has limited grab (despite grip literally being in its name) and two, more noxiously, it is SUPER difficult to clean because of the micro loops that curl on top of each other, which means you’ll likely have old litter trapped in the mat. I still haven’t found a good solution, but I know this ain’t it.
Litterbox plastic bag - Similar to the litter mat above, I thought this would help me transcend into the next level of cat litter cleanliness. But alas, cat pee tends to pool at the bottom of the bag, so when you do your weekly or so deep clean, you find yourself holding a bag of cat pee and clumpy litter. Uh, no thanks?
This wall-mounted cat shelf - I know I’m a little obsessive about cat trees, but the #1 job of a cat tree is to provide Fortified Support! So, cat trees with weak joinery, even before a 10 or so pound cat starts climbing it = unsafe = unacceptable. No, this cat tree is not the only offender, but it somehow got through my other buyers’ review inspection. So, let my mistake be a learning moment for you, friend: Always read for possible failure modes. Some are just annoying, some are potentially unsafe.
All right, now please dish! What win the Cat Product Golden Raspberry Award in your household?
p.s. You may also like this review of Coffee Table Books About Cats
