apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've rounded up some neat pet beds on etsy. Mind you, I have a chihuahua and a yorkie so I can use the cat beds for them, too. These aren't quite suitable for, say, a Great Dane ;)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14260094

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12460994

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=cat3_gallery_6&listing_id=10331107

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11589774

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10723810

And I REALLY love this design!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=14127423

They are much more stylish options than the L.L. Bean style beds from the chain pet stores.

Other than those ridiculously expensive hypo-allergenic cats (or whatever they're called), are there certain cats that are easier on the allergies than others?

What kind of pet sheds the least, but still has hair, and is appropriate to have as an apartment pet (doesn't need a lot of room)?

What kind of dogs smell the least? Some of my friends tell me that toy poodles have the least foul breath, but I'm not convinced.

Thanks, and sorry I have so many questions!

I've always understood that cats like sleeping on newspaper (and I guess that goes for boxes and paper bags) because it's like insulation - it keeps them warm. I've also read that cats like sleeping on/in defined areas.

In my own experience, my cat has never used anything I've spent more than $2 on (except the cat tree - she likes to be up high, so she gave me a break).

i would like to know what litter is popular....I used to be devoted exclusively to Tidycat crystals blend (not the scooping kind) in the multi-cat household formula, even though I have just one small cat, because it really did it's job, and there was no smell, and no tracking of litter....but they seem to have discontinued it. we're using the scoopable kind now, but seriously there is like a litter explosion daily on my floor. Ugh.

I'd love AT's take cat potty training products like citikitty as well as any way to keep the litter & smell contained. I found that using the cupboard under the bathroom sink and leaving the door partially open, as well as cleaning the litter box a few times per day, works. I hope that there are less labor intensive methods out there.

how to make a window kitty-safe. We have 2 cats and live in the 5th floor and would like to have the windows open without having to worry.

Mrs. Mack - I've always found that poodle mixes shed the least, and have hair that is more hair like and less fur like.

I've been wondering about green ways to get rid of fleas. A friend recommending sprinkling Borax on the carpet (and then vacuuming after a day or so) to kill flea eggs, but is that safe to do around my cat?

I'm also curious whether other cat owners use things like Soft Paws and what they think of them. I mainly just keep my cat's claws trimmed and it's fine, but occasionally some extra blunting would be nice.

I'd just like to see photos of kittycats on designer chairs. yeap.

I am hoping to have posts about finding pet friendly apartment rentals in NYC. Also, my landlord sent me some letter stating that my dog is shedding and leaving hair in the common hallway areas (!!) and could I please keep the hallways clean of her hair (!!) as they would like to continue being a pet-friendly building. My question is: since it's rent-stabilized, are they bound by law to offer me a lease renewal despite my fur shedding issue? I vacuumed up outside my door around the landing, but I refuse to mop up every hallway on every floor. I think it's a bogus letter to begin with, but I also don't want to be evicted...

I have a 2 1/2 year old pit bull, he's very friendly, sometimes too friendly and likes to jump on people in the street and even when I have company over. How do I stop that from happening. And another thing... he has separation issues. How do i treat that.

yaaaaay! pet month!

I do have a question! My indoor cat likes to go outside, but I won't let her roam around without supervision (we're not allowed to have outdoor cats where I live and there's coyotes). There's a short walkway with a railing from my apartment to the stairs. Do you have any ideas of how I could close off the walkway so she could sit outside but couldn't escape down the stairs? Then I could also leave my door open during nice days.

P.S. She's a good jumper.

Thank you!

I have recently switched to Miracle Cat Litter. It's supposed to attract cats to the litter box. I also add the miracle cat cat attract additive to it. One of my kitties has major issues with his litter box. After using it without fail for more than a year, he suddenly started to be terrified of the litter box. We had to coax him back to it and retrain him. Now he is on and off with his use of it. But I think the Cat Attract litter's really helping. Also, we used Feliway Pheromone spray and diffuser. They are pricey but I think they really calm them down.

There are coyotes, I mean.

Jashiro, seriously, you and your dog need obedience training, not a design blog.

An entire "pets month" theme seems off topic--as some of the comments here illustrate.

Woohoo to pet month!

Mrs. Mack, I have a retired racing greyhound, and she is a fine apartment dog. They are sprinters, so they are very lazy and require little exercise. No yard needed. They don't shed much and most aren't barkers. There is no "doggie" smell. She gets a bath about twice a year. Retired racers are already crate trained and I've found them to be easy to housebreak. Mine figured it out in a day. People are surprised that large breeds are often easier than high energy smaller breeds in apartments. A good website for researching what might be good for you is http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/a-z.htm
Good luck in your selection! (I also humbly recommend rescuing rather than a breeder, or definitely avoid pet stores since they support puppy mills.)

Jashiro, for your pittie's separation anxiety, start with leaving him alone for 5 seconds, then 10, and slowly work your way up. Don't make a fuss about leaving or coming back. You can leave him a stuffed Kong toy to help distract him from your exit. If he really has serious anxiety try working with a behaviorist, or try using DAP. It mimics the smell of a mama dog and can sooth dogs of all ages. http://dogsupplies.sitstay.com/search?p=Q&srid=S11-2&ts=custom&lbc=sitstay&uid=514671632&w=dap&view=grid

Also, a tired dog is a happy dog. Wear him out before you leave and he is more likely to nap peacefully while you're gone.

Hope that helped!

My greyhound:
http://www.dogster.com/dogs/452267

Are there any attractive, modern dog crates that aren't crazy expensive? My dog loves his ugly beige and blue plastic crate that he's had since he was a puppy, but it so ruins my bedroom decor.

How can I convince my boyfriend that we need a dog?

whats the best drug or something to surpress my cat alergy? and how do i teach a cat not to claw furnature, i saw a cat with capped claws, is that ok for them? how often do they need to b recapped?

what dog sheds the least and is quiet? or easy to train to be quiet?

also, is there anyway to get a timed light for my turtle? he needs 12 hours of day and night in his special lamp and i'm not always there to turn it off/on at the right times.

AKB-

My cat was trained on the cittikitty, it gets my thumbs up!

I don't think you have covered hamsters....so that would be great if you could!

have you covered pet bunnies yet? there's a great rescue service in los angeles called "bunnyluv" (bunnyluv.org) that litter-box trains abandoned bunnies before putting them up for adoption. that's right - my bunny doesn't even have a cage, he roams around the apartment like a cat and hops over to his litterbox whenever he feels the need. we use wood pellets in his litterbox to absorb all the... well, you know.

bunnies take patience and love but once you earn their trust, they're amazing apartment pets.

RE: Cat beds.

All I did was outfit my kitty's cat carrier with bedding on the inside and a pretty pillow slip draped over it so he can have his dark privacy. The door was detached and is between the carrier and the wall.

It's easy to get him to go to the vet in the carrier since he already feels secure in his 'cat bed'. I just take the bedding out beforehand so he doesn't associate his bedding with the scary doctor place.

hobopajamas, i used to have an apartment-hopping bunny too! it was GREAT! thanks for the reminder! R.I.P., Einstein.

I would LOVE to see how other people "rabbit proof" their apartments and homes. I have 2 rabbits (litter trained). We've struggled with coming up with attractive ways to cover up wires, camouflage their litter boxes, tame the hay that is spread across the floors on a daily basis, etc..

I am think "pet month" should mean designer dog house tours, modern designs for pet accessories/bowls/toys, photos of areas of the home devoted to pets, and new design options to things like bird cages (there is a new line of "modern" birdcages out now). Basically any way to bring style into owning a pet. Not-so-much for behavior issues or breed specific questions, although it would be a great idea for pet month to put those questions in the open thread!

I dunno, just my .02

Hi Laure! I'm having a huge problem dealing with litter spray in the bathroom - it's all over the floor and sometimes even on the countertop in the mornings, and I've been spending a lot of time vacuuming. My question then is: how do other cat owners prevent such kitty litter spillage in the bathroom?

green cat litter
easy to clean couches

Mrs. Mack - I agree with Susan-Marie, greyhounds make fantastic apartment pets. I was living in a 600sf loft with one 12-yr-old cat when I adopted my first greyhound, Maggie, from Animal Control. And she is the first dog I have ever had. I took her out to the loft's small dog run 3-4 times a day, and that was plenty of exercise. The other tenants loved her, and she VERY rarely barks (I have had her a year now and have MAYBE heard her bark 10 times). In general, greyhounds do not have oily skin so they rarely need baths, they curl up in their bed like a cat, and they are extremely calm. (Keep in mind that they should NEVER be left outside as a yard dog.) They live up to their nickname "the 45MPH couch potatoes!" There are tons of great greyhound resources online by searching "retired greyhounds." I fell so hard for the breed that when I recently bought my first house, I adopted a second greyhound, Clive!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a370/hollispics/Clive/cliveandmaggie.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a370/hollispics/Maggie/IMG_3858.jpg

Jessimuhka and Zhenpoo- I have used Soft Claw nail covers on both my cat (when she was a kitten and I was training her about scratching) and on my 75 lb greyhound Clive (to protect my hardwoods). They are GREAT. Depending on how active your pet is, I have seen them last between 2 weeks and 6 weeks. A friend of mine was so impressed that she chose to use them on her cat instead of de-clawing.

And as far as fleas go, there are a lot of safe treatments. Borax, Boric Acid, and Diatomaceous Earth all work. Here's a good link:
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010305a.cfm
Although I prefer buying the Diatomaceous Earth that is specifically made for pest control, and not the kind made for pools.
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=2262

I am owned by six cats -- yes, I'm crazy, but its not my fault people kept giving me their cats!

Anyway, I can honestly tell you that the best cat furniture (the ones they'll use the most) is the piece of furniture closest to the window with the best view of birds/squirrels/chipmunks/toads/moths.

We bought a new couch set at the end of May, and the matching chair to the set has already been completely catted. They all scramble and fight to sit in the sweet spot atop the comfy cushion for hours of bird viewing.

Luckily I was smart enough to cover the top of the chair in a lovely red throw, which makes cleaning up the fur a lot less painful:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sassinate/2809300737/

We use litter called 'yesterdays news' and/or any litter made from reclaimed pine. Yesterday's news is made out of recycled newspapers and pine litter is made from pine dust reclaimed from lumber mills. Both crumble when they are wet, but absorb odour wonderfully. Especially the pine litter, it neutralizes the ammonia in the urine so you don't smell a thing. Neither is as easy to clean as clumping litter, but the dust from clumping litter is bad for the kitty's lungs and is not environmentally friendly.

How about sources for good looking and sturdy furniture for aquariums, paludariums, terrariums etc?

In that same vein how about good looking homes for other small furry animals? rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs etc etc.

Or how about any attention to our other animal friends besides kitties and puppies?

I'm an apartment dweller who lives alone and works. I would like to get a dog. MY question for ATers is if anyone has used an artificial or real grass bathroom pad for dogs who need to go when the owner is not there. Brands? What to look for? (Unfortunately, doggy daycare is not an option.)

Thanks.

Pet month coincides with my birthday.

Thank you for the best gift ever, AT. I love it!

I'm in the market for a new litter box - it would be great if AT profiled some modern, interesting looking litter boxes (if such a thing actually exists).

How about:

Where do you keep your littler box?

What is your preferred way of cleaning up litter?

How you deal with cat hair on clothes and furniture?

I know they've been dealt with on AT before, but new ideas are always good.

How about: When did you realize your cat owns your apartment and not you?

We're moving to a new neighborhood along with our mostly outdoor cat. What can we do to make this transition easier for her? Should we keep her inside the new home for awhile or let her explore?

Nash, I would definitely keep her inside the new home for a while...for two reasons.

1. She needs time to adjust to the new house and initially her reaction to the change might be to flee. You might want to give her a section of the house where she can't easily escape through the front door/garage/etc. Watch her behavior, you can tell when a cat is obviously discontent. If she appears calm and isn't more skiddish than usual, she is most likely to start exploring outside.

2. BUT before you let her stretch her legs outside, please make sure you know who lives in your neighborhood. If your cat primarily sticks to her yard this isn't so much a problem, but if she tends to "visit" the neighbors you really need to know just who she might run into. In her old neighborhood she knew dangerous spots to avoid, or which dogs could be teased along the edge of the fence and which meant business. You just want to make sure you're allowing her freedom to roam about as cats were meant to without putting her in danger.

I hope that helps a bit. Our cats are inside-out cats, but they mainly hang out on the screened patio. One of the exceptions being when I throw frisbee with my dogs and our tabby, Cleo, likes to run out from the bushes and attack the frisbee midair. She stalks it. It's hilarious.

Good luck to you and your kitty and the new home!

I have two 5 year old bulldogs that have their own bedroom... I'd like advice and/or ideas on how to decorate their room. We'd like to avoid anything baby-ish. They're a little too old and too furry for that. ;)

Also, some ideas for bedding would be helpful. They each have their own toddler bed (http://www.flickr.com/photos/carmensandiego/559171096/) but it seems that most toddler bedding is tacky. We'd like to avoid superheros or cartoon characters.

...they only prefer that box (or bag) when it first comes in the door; the next day, they turn their noses up at it...

Most litter boxes are ugly and my cats always spread the litter in my tiny bathroom , also I feel uncomfortable with the idea of them using my toilet (citikitty). Could you please give some ideas on how to turn litter boxes more apartment friendly? I like akb's idea but it would be nicer to have more options.
Thanks

Nash, my grandmother always rubbed butter on the paws of a new cat, or a not new cat after a move. So I always have, too---partly because I love lore like this, and mostly because I guess it works! I've never had a kitty-cat stray!

PS--

Oh, I meant to say she rubbed the butter on before letting the cat out for the first time.....

I don't remember who posted about mixing Nature's Miracle kitty litter with World's Best litter, but thank you so much!! I've been using it for about a month now and love it. It has a nice smell and doesn't seem to track quite so much, although we do have a plastic tray that has a perforated, removable top piece that the cats step onto when they exit the box, with a carpet mat underneath that.

I scoop once a day for two cats and there's never any bad odors, and what litter does get tracked onto the floor is minor, and it doesn't feel like walking on rocks. I highly recommend it!!

how about recommendations for rugs? I need one that's durable and that Lab fur can be vacuumed out of relatively easily. and looks good! :)

@jenny!
check out one of my fav blogs: ModernCat.net. modern chairs and kittehs here: http://www.moderncat.net/gallery/

And see the mini-mod for kittehs and goggies are at our site here: http://www.HepperHome.com

ldevere: I have this indoor grass for my 42 lb Aussie- She uses it for emergencies only since we don't have outdoor access. In case of emergency I can hose it off outside and all is clean- In Fact, my cat claims the grass as her spot when it is clean. I have the smaller sized version but would consider getting the larger one as my pup is a little big for it, but the nice thing is that it hides nicely under my computer desk or sofa when I have guests. (Check ebay for lower price)

Why does my cat seem to love the smell of bleach? It affects her like catnip affects other cats--except it also seems to make her a little anxious or aggressive. She's quick to play after smelling bleach, but also quick to bite.

I'm so excited for pet month!

I'd also be interested in apartment bunny info. We have a rescue house bunny, too, and we make a lot of our design decisions based on what will work with her and her naughtiness. (Low open shelving, for instance, definitely does not work in our home unless we want each and every item pulled out and nibbled on!)

SNAKES! We have a corn snake in our apartment (in a tank), but the tank itself is not all that attractive. Also, it has to be up quite high because we have 2 cats who happen to be veeery curious. Perhaps you could provide some ideas/solutions for a snake habitat that is both functional and beautiful?

Love all cats---mine the most!

Best couches/fabric for keeping fur at bay?
How does everyone keep litter under control?? I have three guys and a one bedroom apartment. The boxes are in the bathroom but the floor is CONSTANTLY covered in litter spray.
Greener ways to deal with kitty 1's and 2's. Litter options, biodegradable bags for scooping, etc.

Can't wait!

On taking indoor cats outdoors: My friend's mom had the brilliant solution of looping her cat's leash around the clothesline. He could go back and forth along the line, giving him room to run a little, but wouldn't get tangled in the leash too much because it was above him.

I'd like to know if there is a way to make/buy cheaply a large wheel for a cat, like a hamster wheel. My cats are indoors and VERY energetic. We have to make nightly rounds of the apartment making sure no glasses, etc have been left, or they will be broken by morning.

How about a fabric that cats can't/won't scratch but is still easy to vacuum hair off of? You will not believe the hole my girl cat put in the arm of my couch! She got down to the frame and pulled all the stuffing out. Now that she wrecked one arm, she's starting on the other arm...and she also made a hole in the back of the couch. I have my eye on the York sofa from Room & Board, but no way am I spending $2100 on a new sofa if she will scratch it again. She is too old to declaw safely and no way will she allow me to put those soft claws on her. She likes to pull on her toes, so they will come off

Mrs.Mack, we have an F1b labradoodle (labradoodle bred w/poodle). She doesn't shed at all or smell at all, and she has a wonderful personality. Ours is miniature, and they're generally 30-40 pounds, half the size of a standard poodle/labrador.

ldevere, we have a neighbor who uses astroturf (set w/in some kind of box) as a wee-wee pad, but it gets stinky pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend it. We use a wee-wee pad for our dog that has a plastic grid, which is easy to wash when necessary. You just put a pad on the tray under the grid. The brand we use is the Wizdog.

well Jezebella, if you would be so kind to tell me where I can find a good trainer, I'm sure it would be better advice than your bitchy responds.

I mean is it not pets month. Excuse me if I didn't get the memo as to what questions we could and couldn't ask.

i would also be very interested in recos for the best/sturdiest upholstery fabric that prevent cats from clawing furniture. please! I'm in the market for new couches now!

Jessimuhka,

Here are some tips from my grandmother that I have tested with positive results over the last 30 years. Getting rid of flea/eggs: sprinkle a heavy layer of salt on your carpets and leave it down for a week. Then vacuum. It would be one of the safer things you could use for the cat - unless it has high blood pressure and a salt-jones.

Once the cat and home are both flea-free, eucalyptus oil on the inside of the cat's collar will act as a natural repellent. My grandmother always kept bunches of cut eucalyptus in rooms (sometimes under the furniture) to keep the area flea-free and that has worked (those were the days before one could find the oil essence easily.)

I currently live in house with 3 giant eucalyptus trees on each side, so flea prevention isn't an issue for my 3 shaggy dogs. Not only is it natural, it smells good too!

Hope this helps.
~Q

Where can I find a stylish, nontoxic (read: all sisal rather than all carpet) cat tree for my cat?

tidy cats small spaces=amazing!

Wow how exciting pet month - I love it. I have two lovely furry felines and one large ficus tree planted in a pot. The larger of the two lovelies can't seem to keep out of the pot and given the chance will take a @#%$ in the pot - not so nice!!! I'll try the citykitty, in the mean time I've put a sheet around the pot so they can't get into it...but that's not so nice either esthetically that is. So, I'd love to hear about how to keep those loverlies out of my plants!

Jashiro, don't call me a bitch because I offered you some advice. F*ck if I know where to find a good trainer, I don't know where you live.