Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Board

On July 3rd, I was at Big Lots and picked up one of their Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Boards. Less than 24 hours later, on July 4th, I returned the item. I am not recommending that you buy this item for your cat! Let me tell you more about my experience.

BIG LOTS PRODUCT PAGE

Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Board - Big Lots Product Page

Before I purchased the single-wide cat scratcher board, I had not visited the Big Lots product page. I only just visited that page when I was researching this product online and found that Big Lots actually had that page! Take a closer look at that tabby cat on the board. I don't think the product photo is an accurate depiction of what YOUR CAT will experience with the board.

THE SCRATCHER BOARD BEFORE USE

Pet Luv Cat Single-Wide Scratcher Board

In the product photo with the packaged scratcher board, you can see the plastic bag of catnip that is lying on a section of the cardboard and plastic wrapped to the board. The fact that the plastic bag of catnip is directly on top of the cardboard is a design flaw. You see, that entire section of cardboard will smell as though you sprinkled catnip there!

MOMMY CAT FINDS THE SCRATCHER BOARD

I have been taking care of a white mommy cat and her six little kittens that I rescued on June 20th. They occupy my Florida Room. I calculate that the kittens were born the end of May and as of the writing of this blog post, they are well past 5 weeks of age. I thought a cardboard cat scratcher board would be a good cat toy for them.

On July 3rd, around Noon, I put out the cat board by another of their toys. I unwrapped the scratching board and set aside the plastic bag of catnip. I did NOT want to put any catnip on the cardboard scratcher since it was intended for the six kittens to use. A couple of the kittens walked over the board, but no kitten engaged in using that scratcher board. Then, it was around 7:30pm that day. I just happened to look out the living room window into the Florida Room and see the mommy cat had found the scratcher board.

Mommy Cat on Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Board #1

At first, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Mommy cat seemed to be intent on using the board as a scratching toy. I snapped that first picture above; however, when I look closer at the board, it looks wet in the area directly in front of the mommy cat's front paws.

Mommy Cat on Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Board #2

Watching the mommy cat, it all seemed to happen so fast! One moment, she seemed OK and then not. She had detected the catnip smell that had permeated the cardboard from the wrapped plastic package!

Mommy Cat on Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Board #3

In the third picture, you can see the mommy cat is now seriously concentrating on that spot on the cat scratcher board that housed the wrapped package of catnip!

While I was watching what the mommy cat was doing with the cat scratcher board, so were two of her kittens. They were off in the distance carefully watching mommy. Both of the kittens started to creep backwards away to a hiding place. It frightened them when they saw their mommy not like herself.

It wasn't a long time that mommy cat was engaged with the scratcher board. Perhaps five minutes or so. I came into the room to get the scratcher board and to wipe the tile floor and clean up all the wet pieces of cardboard that were lying on the tile floor around the board. I then removed the board from the Florida Room and set it down inside. I returned to the Florida Room to check on mommy cat and her six little kittens.

Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Board After Five Minutes of Use

When I came back inside, I saw that my cat Boots had found the board and was also experiencing the same effects of the catnip smell. Boots is a six-year old female tabby. So, now I had two female cats that had reacted very dramatically to the cardboard in the scratcher.

Pet Luv Cat Scratcher Board After Five Minutes of Use

Take a closer look at the wet spot on the scratcher board and compare it to the size of the catnip package. It pretty much demonstrates how the catnip had permeated the plastic package and tainted the cardboard scratcher.

PRODUCT DESIGN FLAW

I believe there are two design flaws with this product:

1. The plastic package of catnip should not be packaged directly on top of the cardboard. There is no telling just how long that package sat with the catnip odor permeating the plastic into the cardboard.
2. Do you really want to use catnip on a cardboard product? I'm not the expert, but I rather think NOT!

When I returned the scratcher board to Big Lots the next morning, the cashier asked if anything was wrong with the product. They couldn't see that the area beneath the catnip package was all wet and torn up. I told them, "Yes, this product has a design flaw. You shouldn't be using catnip on a cardboard product!"

Searching on the Big Lots website, I see there are a lot of Pet Luv cat toys available. I did settle on two other cat toys that seem to work fine with the kittens. No more catnip for the white mommy cat and her six little kittens!!

P.S. I had previously had a conversation on Facebook with a fellow cat lover. We were discussing how I surely wouldn't want mommy cat experiencing catnip because it might get into her system. Since she is still nursing the six little kittens, I don't think the little cuties need to feel the affects of catnip at such a young age!

SUPPORT MOMMY CAT AND HER KITTENS

I am caring for the white mommy cat and her six little kittens until they are adopted. That means another three weeks before the kittens can be put up for adoption. July 25th would mark approximately 8 weeks of age for the kittens. We are hoping to raise enough funds so that we can provide the spaying and neutering of the kittens and mother. Won't you help us? Please help to support the mommy cat and six little kittens during their care.

ADOPT A KITTEN

Would you like to adopt one of the six kittens? Or, maybe you would want an older kitten like the mommy? We think these are some special kittens. They are cute in disposition and have beautiful markings. If you are interested, please leave me a comment with your contact information.

Found White Cat and Kittens in Mandarin

Since the middle of May, I had been noticing a pretty white cat, with calico markings, in my backyard. On May 20, 2014, I snapped a photo of her looking like she was definitely pregnant with a litter!

Pregnant White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida
Photo Taken May 20, 2014

As I watched the white mommy cat come and go daily, I did wonder a number of things, like:

1. Who might have lost a white cat?
2. Why wasn't she spayed by her owner?
3. Where was she sleeping at night?
4. Where did she stash her babies?

In early 2012, I had seen another white cat in my backyard which surely looks a lot like this white cat. I'm thinking they are definitely related. Check out the white cat in my post on the Stray Cats of Mandarin.

Pregnant White Mommy Cat in Mandarin Florida
Photo Taken June 1, 2014

The next photo I have shared of the white mommy cat was taken June 1st. I was reasonably sure she had just delivered her litter. But, I'm not sure of the actual date. What I found odd was the strange behavior of the two male cats when they came near her. Take a look at the next two photos to see what I am talking about!

The male orange tabby cat was peering at the behind of the female white cat as she ate. That photo was taken the morning of May 29th. It makes me think she probably had delivered the babies already. The black male cat seems to be peeing on the female white cat! That photo was taken the morning of June 1st. Very odd behavior! I believe these are the two daddies to the litter of six!

FOUND SIX KITTENS

At 8:45am on Friday, June 20, 2014, I followed the female white cat after she came by to eat breakfast. She virtually led me directly to the baby kittens that she had stashed in the bushes up against a neighbor's house.

Six Baby Kittens at Three Weeks of Age
Photo Taken June 20, 2014

The previous Monday, I was talking with another neighbor who asked if I had seen the white cat. I told her that the white cat was coming by daily to be fed. She said she had her kittens in her bushes at the front of her house. Well, she also told another neighbor and pretty soon mommy cat moved the little kitties. Their location was a mystery for the next few days until Friday morning when I put on my explorer cap and went a-looking.

When I found the six baby kittens, I brought them into my Florida Room. I then started wondering, "what am I going to do with you?" I had researched the local organizations in Jacksonville, Florida. Virtually everybody said the same thing. Do not take baby kittens away from their nursing mother. And, try to be a foster mother to the mommy cat and her babies until they are ready for adoption!

Also, it is important to spay and neuter these cats so as not to add to the pet population. When the time is right, I will be putting the baby kittens up for adoption. That should be when they have reached eight weeks of age. The mommy cat will need to be spayed as well. She looks pretty young to have been a mommy already!

HAVE YOU LOST A CAT?

Could this be YOUR cat? You don't need to be shy about it or embarrassed that I am providing care for your cat. Please, if this is your cat, let me know! She is a beautiful cat with a lovely personality. I am contemplating keeping her after I adopt out her little cuties.

White Mommy Cat Nursing her Six Baby Kittens
Photo Taken June 24, 2014

ADOPT A KITTEN

Would you want to adopt one of these baby kittens? In a future blog post, we will profile the little rascals and let you get to know them better. These baby kittens are fortunate that I found them. I've previously managed a feral colony of cats in Deercreek Country Club. I've also nurtured another set of baby kittens from Precious the Cat. After finding good homes for Precious's kittens, I adopted Precious.

Over the course of several years, I worked with First Coast No More Homeless Pets : FCNMHP in Jacksonville, Florida. This organization is a lifesaver helping to spay and neuter cats throughout Northeastern Florida.

If you are interested in adopting one of these cuties, just let me know! You don't need to wait the full eight weeks to contact me. I am doing my best to ensure that these will be the best pets possible. Mommy cat is staying with them and nursing them several times daily. Already I am seeing some pretty precious little personalities emerging for these baby kittens. Perhaps one of them will be your pet?

As you probably can tell, this is a story from June 2014! The mommy cat went into a program with the City of Jacksonville called Wild Whiskers. They wouldn't tell me where she was going, but I was assured that she would do well. Also, all of the six kittens were spayed and/or neutered and put up for adoption in Jacksonville. As it is now several years later, I pray that all are in loving homes and doing well.

You too can adopt a kitten and provide it with a loving home. Your city should have programs that you can check out.