It’s safe to say we’re a nation of animal lovers, and we love to treat our pets. In fact, we collectively spend almost 8 million pounds a year on our pets! The market for pet products is huge, and you can get almost anything for your pet now. One trendy new product is a pamper box for your cat! So today, let’s look at what these are, what’s inside and if they’re worth the price.
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What on Earth is a pamper box for cats?
For those who don’t know, a pamper box is a luxurious box filled with nice treats, often given as a gift to ‘pamper’ someone. The most common are probably beauty gift sets for women, containing soaps, shampoos and other smellies. But you can get pamper boxes for almost anyone now with many different gifts inside! And yes, this includes cats.
There are a number of companies offering these feline pamper boxes, either sold individually or as a regular monthly subscription. Many contain products for both cats and their owners (though some are just for humans who like cats) in lovely decorative containers, often with a theme. What can be found inside appears to be almost endless, so let’s list some examples we’ve seen.
For your cat, pamper boxes may include different flavoured and textured treats, catnip products, shampoos, laser toys, brushes, balls, unique food bowls and even fancy poop scoops! And for humans, the boxes have included cat-related clothing, cat mugs, cat colouring books, ‘cat facts’ cat tea and more! Some of the larger subscription boxes offer tailored edible treats for cats on certain diets, and even veggie and vegan options for humans. It seems the sky’s the limit, and they certainly seem fun to unwrap for any cat-addict.
Prices vary depending on where you purchase from, from a few pounds to over £30 a box. Monthly subscriptions seem to be around £30 a month as well. It is good to see that at least two of these subscriptions support cat charities with some of their profits.
What are the pros and cons of these boxes?
Let’s start positive.
First of all, they’re fun! Rather than buying single items at a shop, you get the fun of unwrapping mystery items every so often. Who doesn’t like opening presents? They’re also a good way to bond with your cat using the toys provided. Enrichment and physical activity are important, particularly for indoor-only cats. On top of this, we’re sure that many cats will appreciate being treated regularly, especially with treats of the edible kind. As we mentioned above, some of the subscription boxes also support charities, so you will be helping other cats in need as well.
But as with all things, there are downsides.
The first is the cost, which for some people may be too much to spend on their cat, particularly as most of the treats inside aren’t ‘essential’. This does, of course, depend on the person. It’s also worth considering if the treats are even appropriate for your cat. Many of the treats we spotted are known to be quite fatty for cats. The nation is already battling with a pet obesity epidemic, so giving them extra treats every month really won’t slim down your pet. On the other hand, encouraging exercise with the toys included may help slim a cat down, but almost all boxes we saw included edible treats.
Finally, there is an argument to be made that most of the products available will cause unnecessary harm to the environment. Many are wrapped in plastic and are delivered to you by road. If the products are made abroad, this increases emissions even further. At a time when we all should be doing our bit to reduce consumption, is a pamper box for cats just too harmful and unnecessary?
So, are cat pamper boxes worth it?
The answer to that question is really up to you. If spending a certain amount monthly on your cat to show how much you love them, give them new toys and treats, and treat yourself to some cat-themed products is worth it to you, then go for it! But if finances are tight, your cat is happy with kibble and a cardboard box, or you don’t want to be producing more plastic and carbon waste, then these boxes are probably one to avoid. If you’re on the fence, you could always try one and see what you think? A one-off treat for you and your cat won’t cause too much harm in the long run. And it’s nice to see cats happy!
Can I make my own pamper box for my cat?
Definitely! In fact, we think these are probably the better solution to treating a beloved pet while ensuring your cat gets appropriate treats and minimising the environmental impact. They’d even be great gifts for family or friends and their cats. There are lots of things you could add to your homemade pamper box.
Let’s start with edible treats.
As we mentioned above, many cats are overweight, so keeping edible treats to a minimum is important. But if you want to give them something, why not make some homemade treats? There are hundreds of recipes out there for cat food. Try and stick to leaner meat, like chicken breast, and keep portions small. Avoid raw meat (cooked meat is safer and more easily digestible), or completely veggie or vegan foods – cats are obligate carnivores and need animal protein to survive, so unless you happen to have a chemical factory on hand for making biologically identical artificial substitutes, don’t try this at home. Be wary with cats on special diets, or those already overweight.
What about toys?
Anything can be a toy to a playful cat, so get creative and reuse some old cardboard boxes to create a cat playpen! Loo roll tubes make great puzzle feeders. If you’re good at sewing, knitting or crochet, you could make some soft play toys out of spare material. Even bundles of string can be ropes for cats to chase. Let your imagination run wild!
Many cats love catnip
Some will get hyperexcited and crazy on it, while others will become super relaxed and sleepy. Catnip is a plant that easily grows in many climates. You can buy whole plants from garden centres or online and grow it in your garden for your cat, or even grow it from seeds! Once harvested, the leaves can be kept fresh in the freezer for later use or dried on the windowsill – why not add catnip to homemade puzzle toys or feeders, or hide it in sewn-up pockets. Even sprinkling it around the house can get many cats in a great mood. Catnip is a perfect treat to put in a pamper box.
If you really want to look after your cat, consider some cat dental hygiene products, like cat toothbrushes and enzymatic toothpaste
Many UK cats have poor teeth and advanced dental disease. If untreated, dental disease can lead to pain, bleeding from the gums, infections, going off their food or even tooth loss. It’s really important to prevent dental disease in cats with regular brushing, just like in people. Cats can be wriggly to brush, so start gently and slowly. Including some cat dental products in your pamper box is the perfect excuse to freshen their breath.
There are probably hundreds of other ideas you can come up with to add to a homemade cat pamper box, so have a think and see what you can come up with.
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