Like any reasonable human, all of us at the Cat Connection love Fall. What’s not to love? Changing leaves, warm clothes (I mean, eventually… we’re in Texas, remember?), Halloween… pumpkin spice everything. We love it all!
At least, that’s what we thought, until we stumbled upon Tidy Cats Fall Frolic kitty litter. Behold and be disturbed:
OK. Let’s deconstruct this monstrosity piece by piece.
For Human Use Only.
This is an example of a product that sits squarely in the “Appeals only to humans, has no value for cats whatsoever” category of feline products. Whenever possible, purchases in this category should be avoided. Without a doubt, Fall Frolic (ugh!) is the end result of a marketing brainstorming session, one that decided to capitalize, in the most absurd way imaginable, on our collective, insatiable love of all things Fall, with no regard to the well being of the cats that would be forced to use this stuff. Not good.
No Cat Wants to do Their Business in Potpourri.
Even on the best days, scented litters remain a point of much debate in the cat community. In general, cats would prefer that their litter have no perfumed smell, especially in a covered litter box, where these scents can become overwhelming. Remember: a cat’s sense of smell is more sensitive than our own, and even the smallest amount of perfume can become a litter box deterrent for kitty. A box that is routinely scooped should have no odor, and good litter box hygiene is a far better method of odor control than potpourri, let alone the industrial-strength stuff in Fall Frolic.
Your Cat is Not Going to Think She’s in the Forest.
No, your cat is not going to be transported to a wooded haven by using this litter, as the advertising suggests. Instead, she is going to wonder why on earth you’ve made her box even more intolerable than usual.
The Litter Box is Not the Place to Make Sudden, or Festive, Changes.
It’s important to remember that litter boxes serve a very specific function: giving your kitty a place to do their business that is contained, cleanable, and sanctioned by you. Cats thrive on consistency in all things, including their litter box use. Sudden changes in the box, be it location, type, or especially the type of litter, can upset kitty to the point that she no longer feels comfortable using the box. Fall Frolic is designed to be a seasonal litter, by its very definition to be used for a short period of time and then replaced (probably, let’s face it, with Gingerbread or Peppermint scented litter, ugh). It’s not worth disrupting your cat’s litter box routine, possibly with the disastrous result of litter box aversion, for something as silly as Fall Frolic.
Let Kitty Enjoy Fall in her Own, Cat-specific Ways.
Like watching the leaves fall off a tree or chasing after slow, dying house flies. You know: cat things! Fall Frolic, and other gimmicky cat products that serve no use for the cat, have no place in a cat lover’s seasonal decor.
The Cat Connection takes great pains to ensure that your cat is the primary beneficiary of all the products we sell, and we vow to never put anything like Fall Frolic on our shelves. It’s just so wrong!
That said, if you’re purchasing Fall Frolic for your own personal use, have at it! You’ll hear no complaints from us. That’s your business.
For more pictures of Karis the lion cub frolicking in leaves, visit The Huffington Post.