Saturday, July 24, 2021

Christmas Eve in July Caturday Art


This is actually the Christmas in July doodle I scribbled up last year. Does anyone remember it? It's personally my favorite Christmas in July doodle I've ever scribbled up. I even like it better than the new one I scribbled up for tomorrow, the actual day of Christmas in July. That's probably because this one is the most traditionally Christmassy.

Truth be told, I'm not all that much a fan of drawing Christmas in July doodles. I love drawing Christmas doodles, but I'm not a big fan of summer, beachy things, and you get the idea. So, trying to draw festive versions of those things is not my favorite. Even so, we'll be back tomorrow with this year's brand new Christmas in July doodle.

Happy Caturday, friends! We hope it's a festive one.




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Tip of the Day

Today's (overly lengthy) tip in our litter box series is about selecting the type of litter. There are many, many kinds of litter out there. There's clay litter, corn litter, wheat litter, pine litter, litter made out of recycled paper,  and even litter crystals, just to name a few. There are even choices such as scented versus non-scented litter, litter for single-cat versus multicat homes, and clumping versus non-clumping litter. The options for litter seem to be endless, which can make the task of choosing one a tad bit of daunting.

So, let's go over some of the factors that will help you select a litter. To begin, first and foremost, let's go ahead and repeat ourselves like the broken record that we are—ultimately, your kitty will have the final say on what type of litter you buy. Cats can be very picky, particular creatures. Some have texture preferences, some have scent preferences, and some have any number of other preferences. If your cat doesn't like the litter you choose, they might avoid the litter box, which is in large part why they ultimately get to choose their litter.

The above being said, what are some of the main factors that might go into choosing the right litter for your kitty? Consider, of course, the type of material out of which a litter is made. For example, clay litter is often one of the dustiest, which may not be ideal for a cat or person with asthma. Also consider whether your cat has any other sensitivities or allergies. To give you an example, I once tried my angel cat Rosie on pine litter. Little did I know, pine was not a substrate Rosie's body tolerated well, and she ended up with hot spots that required steroid and antibiotic treatment. So, especially if you are trying a new type of litter, always keep an eye on your kitty to make sure they do not have an adverse reaction, and also that they do not start avoiding the litter box.

There are plenty of other random yet important factors to take into consideration when choosing litter, though. Do you have multiple cats? If so, perhaps look for a litter that is formulated for multicat homes. Does your kitty leave quite the stinkers in the litter box, and so you've chosen a scented litter? If this is the case and your cat uses the litter with no issues, then that's great. But, do keep in mind that cats' noses are far better than ours, and some cats might not like fragrance in their litter. Your cat might very well let you know if they do not like scented litter by avoiding the box, in which case you'll get the hint.

We're not done with this discourse quite yet. As we touched upon earlier, some cats have texture preferences. Since litter touches their paws, such texture preferences can of course play a large role in what type of litter your cat might use. For example, some cats prefer fine litter, and will not touch litter that is more coarse. I will also add here that I have some family members with cats who do not like litter at all, and so they use pee pads in litter boxes, which works great for those particular cats. Then again, my own Evan, in large part due to his hind limb paralysis, is towel trained rather than litter trained. So, litter texture can be a significant consideration for some cats, and in such cases there may indeed be some trial and error required. In such cases, just be patient, and you and your cat will find a litter, or even a litter alternative, that suits everyone involved.

9 comments:

Eastside Cats said...

Yeah, we tried many litters over the years, but the cats told us they liked one kind and one kind only...we've not strayed from that one since.

Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty said...

Lovely doodle!

My mum is not a fan of beachy summery things either :)

Melissa, Mudpie and Angel Truffles (Mochas, Mysteries and Meows) said...

It's adorable! Ditto on the beachy summer things :) Adding a touch of Christmas makes anything tolerable though.

meowmeowmans said...

We remember this doodle! We are okay with beachy things here, but we don't live for them.

messymimi said...

You do a great job of something you don't particularly enjoy!

The J-Cats said...

That's a lovely doodle.
Thanks for all the info about the different kinds of litter.

Alastriona, The Cats and Dogs said...

We love the sandcat in the picture. Mom's favorite was the litter from recycled paper, but it was really expensive.

pilch92 said...

Sorry I am late. I love the drawing. Excellent tips too. Some cats are quite particular about litter. I can't stand the smell of scented ones and figure they don't want to lick that off their paws. XO

Cathy Keisha said...

Sweet! The peeps used Christmas napkins today for Christmas in July.