Top 5 Innovative Cat Products You Must Have

While Greenies, the popular treats that improve your cat's dental health, are good enough to qualify for their own listing here, I've put them aside in favor of this company's more recent innovation: the pill pocket.

This treat is exactly what the name suggests: a tiny pocket in which you can place any pill medication your cat needs to take. For any of us who've ever tried to give a cat a pill, this invention is a great advance for science (well, the cat-care division of science, anyway). No more capturing, trapping, holding down, and force-feeding. With pill pockets, you can simply give your kitty a tasty treat and he'll be none the wiser.

Water Fountains

It's a little-known fact that cats actually prefer to drink moving water over water that's still. This is why you will sometimes see your feline friend pawing at the surface of his water dish before he partakes.

Feline water fountains cater to precisely this instinct. You simply fill the water tank, plug it in, and a small motor recirculates the water in some variety of constant, gentle motion. I have yet to meet a cat who doesn't love one of these, but don't think they're a simple extravagance for the sake of pampering alone: kitties will increase their water intake considerably when given moving water to drink, so if your cat suffers from bladder or urinary tract problems, this ingenious device is a must!

Cat Bath Wipes

Sometimes, your cat just has to be dirty. Whether he's got dandruff, doesn't clean himself well, or is one of those cats who loves to roll around in the dirt whenever he can, he's going to need a bath. But if you want to get him considerably cleaner without having to deal with all the clawing, hissing, flailing, and screaming (yes, cats do scream) that comes with a full bath, bath wipes are a great solution.

Not that cats like being wiped with a wet cloth, but in general, I find that they dislike it a great deal less than they dislike being plunged into a tub of water. My cat meows a little in complaint when I wipe him down and will try to walk away, but after a few wipes, it's done. Afterwards, he's cleaner, better-smelling, and his fur is softer and shinier.

Finger Glove Toothbrushes

Let's face it - toothbrushing, like giving kitties pills, is never easy (like I said - thank goodness for dental Greenies!). Cat's don't like having things inserted into their mouths, but it's usually much easier to get a simple finger in there than an unwieldy toothbrush, and more comfortable for the cat (which means less squirming).

For this reason, toothbrushes consisting of bristles attached to a rubber finger-glove were invented. No, it won't make toothbrushing and enjoyable experience for you and your feeling. It'll just barely make it possible, but as far as I'm concerned, that's pretty darn impressive.

Hidden Litter Box

Probably the least fun aspect of having a cat is, of course, the litter box. Personally, I don't mind cleaning it, but having it around is...well, not exactly my idea of stunning décor.

Enter the hidden litter box. This is specially made piece of decorative furniture (a floor-standing planter with a very large pot) which features a hidden compartment (hidden by turning it to the wall) containing a litter box. This is just like a covered litter box, except the cover doubles as an attractive decorating.

So far, I've only seen one litter box made along this concept (you can find it in the Sharper Image, or Sky Mall catalogue), but I hope to see more designers get the memo that this a great idea.

Dud Innovation: Automatic Litter Boxes

You've probably seen these advertised. The idea is that kitty used the litter box, then sets off a time-delayed motion-sensor which triggers the litter box to scoop itself. Sounds like a good idea, but in my experience, these things are expensive, noisy, and never really get the job done all that well.