Metro Pets

Planet Kitty

By Sharon Gomes Thomas

What do you do if you love your cat, have a fun style, and do your best to minimize your carbon paw-print on the planet? With these noble philosophies in mind, you strive in the search of eco-friendly cat products. Lucky for you that there are more and more products that are now available meeting all three criteria.

Take the Kitty Cabin as an epitome of these goals. Designed by two university friends who were frustrated by the lack of well-designed, fun, and most importantly cheap products available in their town, they set out to make a 100% locally recycled cardboard product. Their company is Loyal Luxe (http://www.loyalluxe.com) that ships the Kitty Cabin flat to cut transportation costs and carbon miles. It also assembles without glue or tools in minutes. The cute cabin that resembles a ski chalet, also comes with 4 interchangeable ornaments: a moose head, a fish, a bird and a nameplate banner. What is lovely about Kitty Cabin is that it is obviously designed by cat lovers – because they know that cats will get up to mischief, those ornaments can be replaced, along with the cabin carpet – you can purchase extras on their site. Go to http://www.loyalluxe.com to order and also for a list of retailers around the country and online.

For contemporary design not unlike something from a West Elm catalog, the TrendyCat Tower (http://www.trendycat.com) is a product handmade in the USA from solid bamboo with absolutely no particle board or MDF. Available in three sizes from three to five feet tall, they come in two finishes – a lighter blonde and a darker caramel – not unlike a choice of hair color! For further protection, the bamboo is finished with a non-toxic polyurethane. The TrendyCat Tower also comes with replacement shelves – we know kitties sometimes play rough.

The most inspired eco-products are the Molly Meow Cat Duvet Covers (http://www.mollymeow.com). The round Bird On A Wire Cat Duvet is not only a cute bed, but it includes a zippered pouch for catnip, as an additional treat for your feline friend! Use the duvet to recover your old cat bed, or stuff a new one with blankets & clothes from around your house. Also available in a square shape, Molly Meow Duvets are durable, washable, and pre-shrunk 100% cotton. It also comes in the lovely La Vie En Rose fabric.