PETCO Eco-Scratcher Scratching Post

My, oh my! It's been a while since we last reviewed a product! The holidays are over and now we have all the time in the world! (Ok, I don't but Rufus does...) We are glad to present our very first product review of 2010 for the PETCO Eco-Scratcher Scratching Post .


You may remember this as Rufus' Christmas present, which we all know he loved! He took to the scratcher without any direction or catnip. It is made of 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles. (The tag it came with tells us it saved four plastic bottles from entering a landfill.) It's better than a cardboard scratcher because it's more durable and much easier to clean up- no cardboard bits all over the floor.

The only thing that could be improved about this product is the dangling feather toy. Rufus ripped it off in hours. I had to re-affix it with a very strong glue. Also, it's a bit lightweight. Rufus pushes this thing all over the room and it gets knocked over quite easily. It doesn't prevent Rufus from digging in with his claws even if it's on its side so it's not a big deal.

We got it on sale for 10 smackers! (What a DEAL!) Rufus loves it to pieces, literally. We are very happy with this scratcher and leave you with these candid photos of Rufus and his lovely scratcher.

Let me warn you, these are the craziest pictures of Rufus I have ever taken...

Cuddling the post violently.

The post is off the ground here...

He is walking and laying at the same time.


There is no caption good enough to supplement this picture.

Rufie Rating: Three Paws!

Addiction - New Zealand Brushtail & Vegetables Entree Canned Wet Food

Rufus received some samples of Addiction and he was thrilled at the prospect of trying some holistic and all natural, hypoallergenic game meat. How exotic!

Rufus gobbled it up with the gusto he reserves for wet food. The stinky goodness was a different texture than the stuff I usually get Rufus. There were meaty chunks rather than a meat paste which made me feel the meat was less processed. (I like that!) The first two ingredients were meat and not processed grains. (I love that!)

Ok but let me point out that the New Zealand Brushtail is a fancy way of saying possum. I didn't realize until after everything was eaten up. It striked me as a little odd but I know Rufus would not hesitate to eat possum or any other meat for that matter. The company states that this type of meat contains more omega fatty acids than traditional wet food meat, which makes for better skin and fur health.

I love the all natural and health aspect of this food. But the one downside I found was the carbon footprint that exporting this could have on the environment. Trucking food from New Zealand all the way to California is a long way to go for one cat's dinner!

Rufus getting on his hind legs for a taste.

Smacking his furry lips!

Overall, this is a good product. It passed Rufus' taste test and offers all natural ingredients with health benefits.

Rufie Rating: Three Paws!

Crazy Cat's Cat Quest

There are battery operated cat toys and there are wand toys. When you put those two together, you get the 'Cat Quest'! It's a wand toy with an attached bug.

Wait, wait... it get's better. The bug has flapping capabilities at the push of a button! Here are some photos from the time I unveiled the packaged toy to full-fledged play.

Giving me the ol' 'I Wish I Had Opposable Thumbs But I Don't, So Can You Stop Fooling Around & Open the Toy Please ' face.


What patience!

He never takes his eyes off the prize!

See what I mean?


Working out those hind legs!

Taking action pictures is much harder than it looks when you have a moving toy and a moving cat! Toys that get Rufus off his tush are wonderful. The charm moves and flaps its wings at your command making it exercise not only for Rufus' body, but also for his mind! If I turn this on while Rufus is sleeping, he will instantly wake up and search out the toy to play with it. Fabulous, fabulous!

Rufie Rating: THREE paws!!

Sherpa Pet Delta Air Lines Deluxe Pet Carrier

This is an awesome pet carrier, great for trips to the vet or on the plane. It should meet most airline standards since it carries the Delta name so it fits perfectly under an airplane seat. It has a small zippered pouch to keep a small bag of treats, toy or papers. It comes with a strap you can pull over your shoulder as well as the handles.

The best feature, in my opinion, are the flaps on the side. You can roll them up or keep them down to control how much your pet can see. I like to keep them down when I walk around and roll them up when we are seated. It's frightening for Rufus to be too exposed when walking through a busy airport but I want him to be entertained when we're settled down.

When we moved across the country, we had to fly Rufus a few times. It was roomy enough for a little cat bed and for Rufus to move around. It was very sturdy. But then again Rufus usually just curls up in a ball when he's in the bag. I'm not sure how it would withstand a cat who freaks out in crowded places.

Another plus, on one of our trips Rufus got too excited and barfed in the carrier. I was grossed out and left it outside in the sun. When I mustered up enough courage to clean it up a few days later, it had dried and caked off in a clump. It wasn't pleasant but clean up was very easy.

Rufie Rating: Three Paws!!

Petstages Cheese Chase

Here's another one of the first toys I purchased for Rufus. It has two balls that are stuck inside their ball track. There's plenty of room for little paws to go in and get those balls moving. (Human fingers too when Rufus decides he'd rather watch than play.) There's also a springy catnip mouse toy.

This is good for mental stimulation. If one ball is going and I get the other one moving, it blows Rufus' mind. He never knows which one to go for if both are in motion. If he gets bored with it, I hide a few treats in there and it's good as new.

It's a good toy but the mouse occasionally falls off. Also, the toy itself is a bit light and can wind up moving pretty far from its original spot if your cat gets aggressive. This can also prove to be very, very loud, especially at 3 in the morning after the most grueling day of work when your cat decides he would like to play with this as loud as he possibly can. At least he's getting some exercise, right?

Rufie Rating: Three Paws

Petkin Kitty Wipes

I have never given Rufus a bath and this product will probably be the closest thing to a bath he will ever get from me.

These wipes work great after I give Rufus a good brushing. The wipes help remove stray furs and don't have any strange smells. He doesn't even mind that I am wiping him with a damp cloth-like material.

This product keeps well. I've had an opened (but resealed) bag sitting around for weeks and they remain perfectly moist when I need them. We like it!

Rufie Rating: Three Paws!

*This rating pertains strictly to the unscented wipes. We aren't sure how the scented ones feel or smell.

Kitty Hoots Big Mama's Scratch n' Play Ramp

The 'Kitty Hoots Big Mama's Scratch n' Play Ramp' is a wonderful scratching diversion for any cat home. It requires just a tiny bit of assembly and includes a bag of 'Zoom Around the Room' organic catnip & springy catnip toy.

This scratcher is very similar to one we rated previously. The premise is the same. It has a replaceable cardboard surface that is positioned on an incline for optimal scratching.

The only difference is the springy toy. There are three pre-cut holes you can stick the toy into. (Strangely, the product photo above doesn't show them.) The toy doesn't stay attached to the scratcher very well. It's a minor annoyance but it's an additional thing that I can step on in the middle of the night or have to fish out from under the furniture.

Rufus likes to address the springy toy and the scratcher separately.

Demonstrating how to use the scratcher. He's such a ham for the camera!

The included catnip is top notch. I accidentally spilled a giant mound onto the scratcher and Rufus was GLUED to the thing.

Note the darkened area near his face. That's ALL catnip!

Big stretch!!

The Scratch n' Play Ramp is biodegradable, takes the heat off the rugs and provides an extra way to get a little stretch for Rufus. We like it!

Rufie Rating: Three Paws!

Play-N-Squeak's Ball of the Wild

I was at the local pet store and stumbled on the most amazing toy ever, the 'Ball of the Wild'. It's a ball that can be filled with treats and makes squeaky mouse noises as it rolls around. I've been looking for a toy like this for years!

I brought it home, ripped it open and proceeded to stuff it full of Greenies. (The treat hole is small so I had to break the treats into smaller pieces for them to fit inside.)

Rufus is intrigued.

Giving the ball a sniff.

Rufus had a bit of trouble grasping the concept of this toy. When I first stuffed the ball with treats and set it down, he ignored the ball entirely and followed me around expecting me to give him the treats myself. I put in some fresh catnip and then he understood, quite quickly!!

He's got the crazy eyes.

Rufus doesn't care much for the mouse noises so when the batteries run out, I probably won't replace them. I think this is a superb product and really love that Rufus has to exercise his brain and body to get to the treats.

Rufie Rating: Three Paws!

Booda Dome Clean Step Litter Box

This our fave litter box we've ever had. Why?

Rufus likes the privacy of this litter box. I like that the littler stays in the Booda Dome's mini staircase and not on our floors. And we both really, really like that the smells are greatly reduced.

It's easy to clean! (I wouldn't know since poppa bean cleans it ...but he let us know!) The lid pops off without a fight and the surface that needs the biggest cleaning is curved. No caked on messes trapped in any corners or edges! There's a filter at the top that really works at keeping the stinkiness at bay as well.

It looks cooler than any other cat box too, almost like some sort of a space pod.

Rufie Rating: Three paws!

The Rufie Rating System

Rufus rates all his products on a four paw scale.

Four Paws! is the highest honor. It's the best of the best and Rufus can't live without it.

Three Paws! denotes a very good product. It's recommended by Rufus.

Two Paws! signifies a good product. Rufus likes it!

One Paw! is an OK rating. Rufus doesn't care for or against a reviewed product.

Zero Paws! is a good sign to stay away, far far away from the reviewed product.


We occasionally get freebies from companies but all the products we review are done so without bias. Rufus, like all cats, cannot be bought! Either he likes it or he doesn't!