Target Brand Rips Off ModernCat

I was disappointed, but not really surprised to learn that Target is one of those mega-corporations that delight in stealing ideas from smaller start-ups.

ModernCat is a terrific website with great information on cat products, and they also manufacture a few products of their own. Their products are produced pretty much by hand, with the health and well-being of cats in mind.


Target apparently liked their unique scratching post concept, but instead of asking for a licensing deal to manufacture them en masse, the corporate bigwigs decided that it's okay to rip off the little person, steal their concept, and run them out of business.

Either that or some low-life that's working for them saw the ModernCat scratching post and passed off the idea as their own. You can read more about it on the ModernCat site.

Whichever, ModernCat's artistic and functional product is now being mass produced in China to substandard specs, allowing Target to undercut the retail price ModernCat charges, without paying ModernCat a dime.

That complete lack of ethics and morals, the lack of true innovation in corporate America, and the propensity to steal from the little guys is what is ruining this country.

Target, you should be ashamed!

Make It Monday for Cats: HackyCat

It's sort of a hacky sack for cats, this latest DIY cat toy is. It's very easy to make and it's environmentally friendly, because you recycle old socks or shirts to make it.

Basically, you need a fabric tube. The designer used the sleeve from a thermal shirt but also recommends making it with thin socks. Knot one end and trim as needed. Add a little stuffing and catnip. Knot the other end and trim. Voila! Instant cat toy. It looks like something my cats would enjoy, and next time I clean out my closet, I'm making some!


The complete instructions are free at Pets Advisor

Not Just for James Bond: Pussy Galore

Well, not so much Pussy Galore as pussy vet bills galore. I've been quiet on the blog lately, at least in part, because of all the issues the cats have been having.

Remy still has extremely high liver enzymes. We are slipping him lots of extra treats and mini-meals, and his weight has been fairly stable over the past three weeks. Every so often we give him the lactulose to make sure he is not getting backed up again. He is having weekly B12 shots right now to see if it helps him.

Wicket began (late one night, of course) to pant heavily and his heart was racing. We took him to the emergency vet, and they found that one of his kidney levels was a little elevated. We took him to our vet in the morning for more tests, and at that time, his kidney levels were both fine, though he was a tad dehydrated and had some fluids before coming home.

Jynx, our FeLV positive boy, has had a bad case of feline acne. No idea why that popped up suddenly when there's been no changes in his environment or toys in about two years. He had the problem, seemed to clear up, then all of a sudden his chin was four times normal size. The vet cleaned it out and found crystallized pus! After all the digging around, his chin was about ten times normal size and he didn't want to eat anything for another 24 hours. He's doing a bit better now.

Trickster, like so many of the humans we know, is having major allergy issues.

Indy has now started on Humulin-N (replacing the Vetsulin that can no longer be sold in the U.S.) and he seems to be doing okay. He acted odd one night, after about a week on the new stuff, so in to the vet he went for a glucose check, and he was a bit high (I expected him to be low). Doc said that was not a bad place to be getting used to the new stuff, so to keep the dosage the same.

It's been a very busy and stressful few weeks. I was also leaving my old job and starting a new job, and that has its stresses as well. I will keep posting here, hopefully a bit more than I've been able to of late.

Try Business2Blogger for product review opportunities

Have you heard of Business2Blogger? Perhaps you've seen their button on some of the blogs you visit. Do you know what they are? If not, keep reading, and I'll explain.

Business2Blogger is sort of like an eharmony or match.com for businesses and bloggers. Businesses large and small are looking to bloggers to review and promote their products through posts and giveaways. A lot of bloggers are interested in getting new products to try, and product giveaways are a tried and true way to pick up followers, readers and friends.

A couple of months ago, I signed up for Business2Blogger with my lifestyle blog Rhyme Schemes and Daydreams. Every couple of weeks, I get an B2B email listing a few businesses that are looking for blogs to review their products or services. It doesn't say who the companies are, but it gives an idea of what the product or service for review is and it includes any specific requirements.

The marketing folks at these companies are sometimes open to hearing from any interested bloggers, but others want placement with specific types of blogs - fashion, parenting or wedding-related, to mention a few examples I've see come up. They may not care what kind of blog you have as long as you have at least 10,000 readers a month. Some need people in a specific geographic location. There's never a guarantee that you'll see a listing that's right for you.

If you do meet the criteria for a listing, you click on the link, fill out a form, and submit. The form asks for the number of visitors your blog gets, how you'll promote a giveaway (if any), for basic contact information, and for an explanation why you think their product or service would be a good fit for your blog.

The whole process takes just a few minutes.

I've never gotten a review out of being in B2B, but I haven't been a member for long. I don't qualify for all of the opportunities. My blogs don't yet get enough readers for some of them. Many companies are looking for parents and I don't have kids. My blogs are focused on cats, hurricanes, and general lifestyle, and those topics don't come up too terribly often.

That said, I'm glad to be a member and have the opportunity to receive those lists by email. Someday, I'll see the perfect fit for one of my blogs, fill out the form, and get a product review opportunity out of it. Then it'll be worth it. If you're a blogger, you should consider checking out Business2Blogger.

Have you gotten your RecycleBank coupons?

I received my coupons for free Friskies canned food today. We need to pick up more food this week, so four free cans will really come in handy!