The holidays provide great opportunities to gift furry, finned, feathered, or furless family members demonstrating our appreciation for their significance and presence in our lives.  Although we know the most important gifts are those that don’t come in gift boxes, it feels great to surprise that someone special with something that will make their tail wag, their eyes light up, and get their purr motors runnin’.

We want our offering to produce excitement, inspire play, and add to their environmental enrichment, while ensuring their health, well-being and safety.   We’re becoming more thoughtful and conscientious about the gifts that we provide the ones that we cherish.

Cattress Mattress and Purrfectplay offer products that are:

• Made in the USA
• Composed of Organic Natural Fibers like Cotton, Wool, and Hemp
• Free of Synthetic or Reprocessed Plastics
• Free of dyes and toxins
• Durable
• Sustainable and Fair Trade

If you don’t buy from us, here are some great suggestions provided by our friends at Purrfectplay.com for finding those earth friendly and furkid safe toys that you can feel good about.

1. Check the label – WHERE was it made? Toys made in other countries like China
have been found to contain heavy metals and toxic chemicals.
2. Stay aware of any recalls and visit pet-related news sites to learn breaking news on toxic pet toys and pet products.
3. Check the label – WHAT is the toy made of? Avoid all synthetics/plastics.
Try to buy certified organic or natural fiber toys.
4.  Check the label again for company information.  Companies who are concerned about our environment will say what they are doing to help.  Support the good guys!
5. Smell and touch the toy.  Pet toys should not have a strong chemical smell and shouldn’t feel weird.
6. Avoid heavily dyed toys.  Fabric dyes often contain heavy metals and strong chemicals.
7.  Avoid toys that have been treated with fire retardants or stain guard.
8. Is the toy inexpensive?  If so, the workers may have worked in sweat shop conditions.  Sweat shop conditions are rarely earth-friendly.

We hope the following suggestions help you find that purrfect gift while keeping you and yours healthy and happy during the holiday season and throughout the new year!

Wishing you a Happy Holiday, a Meowy Christmas and a Waggy New Year!

Pamela Wheelock
Purrfectplay

Bret Glass
Cattress Mattress

Hey fellow felines and peeps! The CatAWhack Raffle continues. We’re in our second week and we get more excited with each passing day knowing that some lucky local cat will be scratching, sleeping, and playing on their very own CatAWhack on 02/17/2011.

Where are we?
Our second venue 1/24/11 to 1/29/11:
Lizzi & Rocco’s Natural Pet Market
503 East Nifong, Suite J
Rockbridge Shopping Center Next to Hy-Vee
Columbia, MO

A celebratory CatAWhacka-Whoo-Whoo Thank You to Jessica & Kyle Schlosser for welcoming us into their magnificent market!  Whoo! Whoo!

Does your feline family member have the winter blues? Are there fewer birds and critters to watch from the window when the temperatures dip below freezing? Well, Apple Apps may offer the solution to boredom.

IPad, IPod, IPhone Apps with their virtual mice, moths, and racing dots offer another mentally and physically stimulating device to add to your cat’s environmental enrichment repertoire. Boredom no more!

Check out these fellow felines getting their app on: