PHOTO SOURCE: Pixabay.com
Do you like to give your pet a gift during the holiday season? We do. Every Christmas there is always gifts under the tree (or in special stockings) for our pets, from catnip treats to new dog shoes, not to mention a lot of toys (too many – we tend to go overboard when it comes to pet toys).
We used to have a dog, but now we only have cats.
We love our cats dearly. They are a part of our family. To say they are spoiled is an understatement. They have more cat toys then they’ll ever play with. For that reason I tend to take toys away for a few months, and swap them out from time to time. I have four freezer bags in the closet with nothing but cat toys in them. Right now I have swapped out their toys for special holiday toys that we’ve gifted them over the years (Christmas related cat toys). We even have a few Halloween toys around our home. I think most are under the fridge, stove, couch or TV stand.
This Christmas the last thing I want to do is gift our cats more toys. It’s not like they won’t play with them (the will), it’s just that we have so many as it is. And we can’t give them a cat tree, because they have a large one, as well as cat “cubes” and more pet beds then we have cats.
What else can I give them this year?
Christmas came a little early for our cats this year when I received to review a product from Fresh Patch. What is Fresh Patch you might ask?
Fresh Patch is a real grass patch delivery company for dogs, cats and small pet owners. Revolutionizing animals and pet owners’ lives, Fresh Patch’s unique monthly subscription service delivers farm-fresh hydroponically grown grass for all animals right to your door. Not only is the potty-training process easier with real grass, but you are also not confusing your puppy by using synthetic grass options or stinky pee-pads.
Fresh Patch is now beloved by cats and small pets to sleep, lounge, and play on. Fresh Patch also has a small batch treat line as well for dogs.
We no longer have a dog, but we do have six cats.
Our cats don’t know what grass feels like. One of our cats, Bella, did go outside on the grass when she was a kitten, but she’s 9 years old now. I’m sure she doesn’t remember it at all.
We don’t have a yard. Our “yard” is a 6′ x 12′ wooden balcony. We also live on the top floor.
We do have one cat, Callie, who we adopted a year ago. She’s 3-4 years old (the vet isn’t sure just how old she is). We don’t know if she has experience with grass or not, but we know for a fact our other cats don’t.
I thought it would be fun to try out Fresh Patch with them. I was sent one to review.
Fresh Patch arrived in a large box. Inside I found a huge chunk of REAL grass. It reminds me of sod. It’s real grass and real dirt underneath.
I wasn’t sure what our cats would do with the grass, so I placed a garbage bag and some paper towels on one of the box lids, then placed the box with the Fresh Patch in it on top of the lid. That way I had something to absorb urine in case any of my cats used it as a litter box.
At first, the cats had no clue what it was. In fact, they were a bit afraid of it, except our youngest cat, Loca. She was the first to try it out. She wasn’t phased by the feeling of grass at all. In fact, she was eating it and trying to dig underneath to find the dirt. I stopped her from doing that.
Our cats Loca and Bella (on the Fresh Patch) enjoying the Fresh Patch (sorry about the fuzzy picture).
Our cat Bella (the only one to ever feel grass as a kitten) took to it right away. As soon as she stepped on it she lied down. Loca wasn’t too happy about that. Loca wanted to “play” with her new “toy.”
Callie (or blind cat) was interested in it as well. After sniffing it, she hopped right on it. She actually wanted to use it as a litter box, but I stopped her. I didn’t want her messing it up for the other cats, in case they wanted to lie on it like Bella did.
We ended up taking the Fresh Patch outside and placing it on our balcony. The cats actually prefer that more than inside. I guess it feels good to lie on grass in the sunshine then on hard wood. They still enjoy it as much as they did inside, and I don’t have to worry about Loca making a mess (so far she hasn’t… but she’s still curious as to what is underneath the patch).
Yes, this is REAL grass with REAL dirt underneath. I was worried about a mess, but honestly, my cats have not made a mess at all. To them, it’s a unique place to lie and take a nap (which cats LOVE to do). Callie hasn’t tried to use it as a litter box either. Now she prefers to sniff around on it and lie on it.
I can see this being a huge benefit to dog owners. It’s a great way to teach puppies to go to the bathroom. I agree with the brand, teaching pups to use wee wee bags is unnatural, and it’s very messy. I remember that when our dog was a puppy.
The patches are available in different sizes, so you can find a size to suit your space or your pup’s size.
We moved the Fresh Patch outside. This is our blind cat Callie enjoying the Fresh Patch. She actually uses it as a litter box (#1, not #2). I think she’s used to grass (maybe it has to do with her life before we adopted her?).
This would also be handy to have if you live in a condo or apartment, and rushing a puppy/dog outside to do their “business” is not easy (I also remember those days). Fresh Patch would be great in case of “emergencies” when your pet can’t wait. I think it’s also great to have in the cold winter months if your dog doesn’t want to go outside (our dog HATED snow and cold).
If you are interested in learning more, visit FreshPatch.com. The brand can also be found on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Those links are found on the bottom left of their website.
Do you have a pet that would enjoy Fresh Patch grass? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.
Kimberly
*I received a free sample to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
