Connected2Christ

Archive for the ‘Pet’ Category

I’m a big Ikea fan and if you’ve never been there, you should go! A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take a friend of mine along whose never been before and she left pretty excited about her next trip there!

I wanted to let you know that Ikea has a fantastic selection of products for your pets! After our kitten came into our family, she quickly became a fan of IKEA and how could she not with the fantastic new cat tent, mouse pillow/cushion, and stylish green flower place mat that I brought home for her.

At Ikea, you can get these same great products and many more for outrageously low prices.  The BÄSTIS mouse cushion cost me 9.99 and it’s ever so soft, easy to throw in the wash. Miska loves takes naps on it! The pop up cat tent was only 7.99. After I got my toddler from trying to climb inside, Miska happily naps there on top of her mouse cushion. And the place mat that I place on the floor for her food bowls was only 1.99! I left Ikea happy that I got several products for my cat that I really like that are stylish, unique, and affordable!

My husband brought a kitten into our family for Valentine’s Day this year! It was quite a surprise to me since he’s known that I’ve been wanting a cat of my own for a very long time now.

So with the excitement of a new kitten, I’ve been thrilled with the opportunity to find only the best toys and accessories that make me feel safe in protecting her, as with any pet that solely depends on our care.

I came across an Etsy seller with a shop called Rescue Paws that specializes in collars for both cats and dogs. And what makes these collars so unique is that they are designed especially for cats with a breakaway buckle, which I whole heartily believe  should be available on all cat collars after hearing a devastating story about my friends cat.

Etsy Meet and Greet…

I enjoyed getting to know to more about Deb, creator of Rescue Paws through my Etsy meet and greet questions and hope you do too!

Why did you decide to open Rescue Paws on Etsy and how long have you been around?

I had previously ordered cat and dog collars from a gal on ebay and the light bulb went on that I can make these. This started a new venture in December 2008, so I searched for a supplier of the buckles and made some prototypes. Then saw an article in our local newspaper about a gal that was rescuing dogs and I wanted to help. That was the birth of the Rescue Paws shoppe. I donated collars/leashes and percentage of my sales to her cause. Although she has moved on to other ventures in her life, the Mitchell Animal Rescue group started up in the area, so now I donate products and proceeds for fund raisers and a new pet product store that will be started for their cause.

What do you enjoy the most when creatin

g your products? I have been sewing for a long time, since I was a small girl creating doll clothes and outfits for myself. I have inherited my mother’s talent for “collecting” fabric and beads.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Along with creating for myEtsy shop, I work as a part-time RN for the past 17 years on a Surgical/Pediatric floor. Also, my husband and I have 3 boys that we enjoy watching them compete in baseball, football, track and basketball.

In five years you’d like to be…?

Since my mother has a vast knowledge and ability to quilt masterpieces, I want to learn more about quilting techniques in the next 5 years.

My Thoughts…

I was sent a Paisley Rambling Rose collar for Miska to wear and review. As you can see from the photos, the 1/2 wide collar is hand made made from comfortable and stylish cotton fabric. I’m fond of the break away buckle which is also adorned with a small silver jingle bell.

We adopted my kitten through a no kill shelter so I appreciate the fact the a portion of the proceeds made at Rescue Paws goes to support animal rescue.

Rescue Paw collars are extremely affordable and the quality is top notch. You can purchase cat collars for 5.95 and dog collars for 11.95 each. Also, you can send Deb a special request and she can make you collar with a specific buckle color as well as fabric.

I will definitely be purchasing another fun collar for out cat in the future!

Win it!

Deb has been generous enough to offer one of my readers a collar of their choice from her Etsy Shop Rescue Paws!

To Enter: Visit Rescue Paws and tell me which collar you’d like to win!

Extras:

1. Add me to your blogroll or add my button.
2. Blog it, link back to this post. (2 extra)
3. Favorite my blog on Technorati
4. Subscribe by email/RSS. (2 extra)
5. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)
6. Email a friend about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)

Tweet: (copy/paste)

RT: WIN a stylish Dog or Cat Collar for your four legged friend! 3/13 @erinlowmaster (add url).

This Giveaway is only open to U.S and Canada

Giveaway running till 03/13/10 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant.

**This product was provided by Rescue Paw for our evaluation and review. No compensation was received in exchange for my review of this product.

How glad I am that I was given the opportunity to review a product that no pet owner should ever be without! What product may this be you ask? It’s the FURminator, a product created to groom your pet that finally  does what it’s supposed to do and does it well!

FURminator has several different grooming tools designed  for small, medium, and short haired dogs as well as those for both long and short haired cats alike. If you have a horse or rabbit you are in luck because their are also grooming products for them offered from FURminator.  I’m going to be talking about their latest new and improved deLuxe line of deshedding tools that I’ve been using for the past few weeks.

I was sent the FURminator Deluxe deShedding Tool with FURejector for Cats to review. I’m going to admit, before I was sent this tool, I was using a regular cat brush bought at a local pet store. And I honestly thought the brush was doing the job on my short haired tabby, little did I know that the regular brush wasn’t as soon as I sat down to gently groom my cat with the FURminator.

Reasons I love the  FURminator deluxe deshedding FURejector tool…

• It easily removes the undercoat and loose hair
• Reduce shedding  up to 90%
• Brings out the pet’s natural oils, promoting healthier skin and a shiny topcoat
• Reduces the amount of airborne elements that cause allergic reactions in many people
• Saves Time- It saves me time thanks to the Furejector button that easily releases pet hair.
• Saves Money- It eliminates for cats the need to spend money on hairballs prevention products and trips to the groomers.
• It totally works better than any brush, comb or rake on the market!

Our family kitten Miska is a huge fan of the FURminator. She loves being combed and often welcomes her one to two times a week grooming sessions each week. I can really see the difference in only using this product for about two weeks. There’s been less hair covered on our own clothes and her coat looks great.

I highly recommend the FURminator deshedding tools to all pet owners and professional groomers.You can purchase FURminator deshedding tools as well as many of the other grooming products they offer  in local pet stores as well as many other well known retailers.

various  and starts at $42.99.

Win it!

FURminator has generously offered 1 of my readers a deluxe shedding tool of any size for the four legged friend in your life!

To Enter: Visit FURminator and tell me which type and size of FURminator you would like to own

Extras:

1. Add me to your blogroll or add my button.
2. Blog it, link back to this post. (2 extra)
3. Favorite my blog on Technorati
4. Subscribe by email/RSS. (2 extra)
5. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)
6. Email a friend about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)
7. Become a FURminator Fan on Facebook and write on their wall letting them know that Connected2Christ sent you. Leave me a comment letting me know that you did and include you Facebook name.

Tweet: (copy/paste)

RT: WIN a FURminator grooming brush of choice for your four legged friend! 3/13 @erinlowmaster (add url).

This Giveaway is only open to U.S and Canada

Giveaway running till 03/13/10 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant.

**This product was provided by FURminator for our evaluation and review. No compensation was received in exchange for my review of this product.

Being a stay at home/work at home mother and a pet owner to a sweet kitty, I’m always looking for anyway to utilize my time for the better. Imagine my luck when I was given the opportunity to review a self cleaning litter box for our kitten Miska from Scoop Free.

I’ve had a lot of experiences growing up with litter boxes, so I definitely know the good, bad, and ugly from having a one cat litter box to a box used by multiple cats. I often ponder why my parents never switched over to a self-cleaning box, it would have saved them the hassle of taking the time to clean out waste several times a day, among many other benefits that I’ll be pointing out.

How The Scoop Free‘s Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box works…

Basically Scoop Free’s self cleaning litter box uses a raking system, which automatically disposes of whatever waste your cat has left behind into the included disposable litter tray. The disposable litter tray  is made from  heavy duty cardboard to prevent leaking. Each litter tray comes with Fresh Step® Crystal litter that absorbs urine virtually leaving no undesired odors behind.

The Scoop Free’s Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box has a rake delay timer that can run 5, 10, or even 20 minutes after you cat does their business depending on your personal preference. Also note that sensors automatically reset the 20-minute rake timer if your cat re-enters the litter box.

Scoop Free’s Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box has a health counter. This feature is helpful in tracking the frequency of your cats’ litter box usage to  monitor their health. You can also keep an eye on this specific number to know when you probably should use a new tray and clean the box out.

My Personal Thoughts…

I’ve introduced my kitten Miska to the  Scoop Free Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box  about three weeks ago.  At first, my kitten was hesitant about the litter box because of the noise and the movement it made. She’s pretty laid back so after about ten minutes and a few hisses at the rake, she took a good look around and did her business with no trouble at all. I also think the appreciates the privacy hood that came along with the litter box I was sent. The hood gives my cat the privacy she deserves from my ever curious toddler and keeps litter where it should.

I’m going to admit I’m a huge fan of not having to deal with the mess, the smell, and the ever existing undesirables that commonly come with regularly taking care of a non-self cleaning litter box.  I recall growing up, cleaning the litter box and the smell of urine would be so strong that my eyes would burn and don’t even get me started on the dust filled litter that made me choke. I loved my cats but I definitely did not have the greatest times taking of their litter boxes.

Pro’s…

• No More Hassle in cleaning thanks to the replacement trays!
• Has an optional privacy cover for your cat(s).
• It’s not noisy.
• Odor Free!
• The Health Counter feature is bonus!

Cons…

• The refill trays can be expensive for those trying to save money, but note that if you have multiple cats, I would say spending the extra money is totally worth it. And if you don’t mind cleaning a tray out yourself I would recommend checking out the Forever Tray, which can be found on Amazon.com that I’ve heard about.
• I had trouble keeping the rake clean and the rake wasn’t catching all of my kittens poop but it shouldn’t have this issue with older cats.  I read that kittens younger than six months commonly have this affect when using the Scoop Free, also they can go through the disposable trays faster when under six months. So I am thinking  I may wait until my kitten is a little older before continuing use of this litter box.
• Personally for me, the litter box is pretty large.I have a toddler to think about so I the only room I can keep the box in with her getting to it is rather small and takes up about half the room in size.
  

If you’d like to purchase the Scoop Free Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box…

For only $99.99 you can get a ScoopFree self-cleaning litter box, a FREE FroliCat BOLT automatic laser toy, & FREE shipping from now until March 31st by following this link: http://www.scoopfree.com/promotion/?utm_source=Connected2Christ&utm_medium=Blog&utm_CatCallBolt

If you’d like to purchase the litter tray refills, Scoop Free is offering my readers a special value by following this link, http://www.scoopfree.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PDDS&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=SUB3

* 90-day money-back guarantee with prepaid shipping.
* One-year limited product warranty with prepaid shipping.

Win it:

One lucky winner will receive a ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box.  (Giveaway for 48 contiguous US States only). Retail Value of $179.95!

To Enter: Visit ScoopFree and let me know something you learned also let me know who would you like to win this for.

Extras:

1. Add me to your blogroll or add my button.
2. Blog it, link back to this post. (2 extra)
3. Favorite my blog on Technorati
4. Subscribe by email/RSS. (2 extra)
5. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)
6. Email a friend about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)

Tweet: (copy/paste)

RT: @ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box Giveaway RTV 179.95 03/13 @erinlowmaster (add url)

This Giveaway is only open to U.S only.

Giveaway running till 03/13/10 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant.

Disclaimer: I was sent a Scoop Free Litter Box to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

We love our cat, there’s no doubt about it! Our sweet cat “Miskatonic Skai” (we call her Miska for short), came into our lives on the 30th of January 2010! She was born the end of November and is close to turning three months old next week!

My husband had known for awhile I had been wanting to bring a cat int our family and he finally agreed in getting a kitten as an early Valentines gift to me.  We had been checking around on craigslist.com and found a post about The Cat Adoption team that would be at a local Pet Smart one weekend in hopes to adopt off their kittens and cats to good homes.

We arrived to find three kittens all brothers and sisters playing around in their cage and immediately we were  drawn toward the gray, brown, and white Tabby. She was really sweet and responded to us purring happily.  We read her information sheet and she sounded perfect for our family.

The lady that was there told us that Miska is a very shy kitten and not social but if you saw here her you wouldn’t think that at all. She’s a very friendly and social cat. She loves to play and definitely loves to curl up in your lap for a nap. She permits baths and loves being groomed. She loves playing with my nearly two year older daughter even though Melody can be a little rough, Miksa doesn’t mind it much.

I highly recommend if you live around the north west  to check out the Cat Adoption Team, if you are thinking about bringing a cat or kitten into your families life. They were fantastic to work with!

Do you like to include your dog in Holiday events celebrated through out the year? Are you one that loves to put bandannas on your cute pooch but end up losing them after some time of wear? If so, I’ve found the perfect solution for you at Moe’s Place, LLC!

Moe’s offers stylish and practical collar bandana sleeve’s! How it works, is that you slip your dog collar slips through the sleeve. That’s it! Your dog won’t be uncomfortable in wearing both and you won’t have to worry about losing the bandanna either!Moe’s bandana sleeve’s come in a variety of four styles which include Scout, Lapel, Sport, and Ultra. THe number of sizes varies through petite to X-Large. And the variety of patterned to solid colored sleeves to choose from is endless for any occasion and every holiday!

I was sent the Valentine Hearts and Paws Scout Bandana Sleeve to review in size small. What I can tell you is that this sleeve is made exceptionally well. Some key features is that the bandanna is machine washable, comfortable and durable, and made 100% in the USA. This specific style is also reversible meaning your dog can wear it two different ways!

If you’d like to purchase one of these for the dog in your life, not that they have wholesale, clearance and Gift Certificates starting at $10 to $50. Also,when you make a purchase, 10% of all sales go to help fund animal shelters. This would be the perfect gift for your pup to say I love you this Valentines Day!

A special thanks to Moe’s Place for sending the sample for me to review. And, thanks to ChicExecs.com for the opportunity to share and review new products.