Cattitude - Episode 302 Style Meets Whiskers: Smart Living for Cat People

<v Speaker 1>This is pet Life Radio. Let's talk pets.
<v Speaker 2>Hello, be lying friends, Welcome to Catitude. I'm your show host,
<v Speaker 2>Michelle Byrne, and what a great show I have for
<v Speaker 2>you today. We're going to talk about how to make
<v Speaker 2>your home cat friendly and human friendly. You know, our
<v Speaker 2>cats rule our home, but hey, we got to live
<v Speaker 2>there too, And we have some great tips for adoption,
<v Speaker 2>for pet advocacy and what you can do to maybe
<v Speaker 2>get into TNR things like that. So stay tuned, we'll
<v Speaker 2>be right back.
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<v Speaker 4>Let's talk pets on Cutlife Radio dot com.
<v Speaker 2>Welcome back everyone. I'd like to welcome Ashley O'Brien. She
<v Speaker 2>is the founder and CEO of Fluffin' Boots. Welcome, Ashley, Hi,
<v Speaker 2>thanks for having me, Michelle.
<v Speaker 5>Always excited to talk about cats.
<v Speaker 2>Excited to have you on. Tell us what is Fluff
<v Speaker 2>and Boots.
<v Speaker 5>Fluff and Boots is a cat centric lifestyle brand and
<v Speaker 5>it's actually named after two of my cats, Fluff and
<v Speaker 5>Boots respectively. And really the brand was born directly out
<v Speaker 5>of my own personal need to find better products for
<v Speaker 5>my cats. So I was looking for products that delivered
<v Speaker 5>on things like quality, safety, positive impact, and esthetics, and
<v Speaker 5>before I launched Fluff and Boots that was really hard
<v Speaker 5>for me to find. So yeah, really proud to have
<v Speaker 5>the first purpose driven cat centric lifestyle brand filling those
<v Speaker 5>gaps in the marketplace.
<v Speaker 2>Well, very glad to have you on. As were all
<v Speaker 2>about cats, So let's talk about a cat friendly home.
<v Speaker 2>What do you think most people get wrong? Yeah?
<v Speaker 5>I would say most people think cat friendly means adding
<v Speaker 5>more things, so adding more toys, more scratching posts, more gadgets.
<v Speaker 5>But in reality, cats don't need clutter. They need predictable,
<v Speaker 5>consistent routines, time for calming, virtuals, cozy retreat spaces, as
<v Speaker 5>well as those thoughtful, well made essentials that really last
<v Speaker 5>and they aren't constantly replaced. So I think a great
<v Speaker 5>way to start with building a cat friendly home is
<v Speaker 5>really focusing on fewer, better things and keeping in mind
<v Speaker 5>that their space shouldn't be cluttered, but instead intentionally layered
<v Speaker 5>for things like comfort, play and companionship.
<v Speaker 2>Okay, thanks, When did you see this shift? Maybe for
<v Speaker 2>you personally as well as in other people, as far
<v Speaker 2>as seeing pet products as part of your home design,
<v Speaker 2>not just as you said earlier, adding extra things for
<v Speaker 2>your cats.
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, So for me, it was becoming more of a
<v Speaker 5>conscious consumer across all aspects of my life. So that
<v Speaker 5>really shifted how I think about home design in general,
<v Speaker 5>choosing those fewer, better pieces that are ethically made and
<v Speaker 5>built to last. And the turning point for pet products
<v Speaker 5>came when I was looking at what I was buying
<v Speaker 5>for my own cats and realized they didn't meet the
<v Speaker 5>same standards as what I was buying for myself in
<v Speaker 5>terms of anti fast fashion and better quality pieces for
<v Speaker 5>my home, and most pet products in the marketplace, unfortunately,
<v Speaker 5>are poor quality, they're disposable, they're usually made with toxic dyes,
<v Speaker 5>and really disconnected from the home. So seeing these pieces
<v Speaker 5>as part of my overall consumption habits completely reframed how
<v Speaker 5>I approached buying pet products. I think they deserve, in
<v Speaker 5>my opinion, the same attention to design, quality, and care
<v Speaker 5>as much as anything else that we bring into our homes.
<v Speaker 2>So historically cat products have been very functional, not as
<v Speaker 2>design friendly. I've noticed, you know, in doing Cat Tute
<v Speaker 2>and my other show Best Bets for Pets, which is
<v Speaker 2>product focused, that there's been a focus maybe in the
<v Speaker 2>last few years, especially after you know, COVID, when we
<v Speaker 2>were all stuck at home, maybe people adopted more pets
<v Speaker 2>and had ideas in mind, that there's been a shift
<v Speaker 2>toward better design, not just functionality. So not just any
<v Speaker 2>old cat tree or litter box, but a litter box
<v Speaker 2>may be disguised as you know, a coffee table. So
<v Speaker 2>why do you think we have that trend? And do
<v Speaker 2>you see that trend going further?
<v Speaker 5>I do, yeah, and that's a great observation. I think
<v Speaker 5>a lot of that comes down to how cats themselves
<v Speaker 5>have been perceived historically. I think cats have been seen
<v Speaker 5>as independent, low maintenance pets, and the assumption that their
<v Speaker 5>needs could be met with purely functional or basic solutions
<v Speaker 5>kind of took away from the focus of design or aesthetics.
<v Speaker 5>So I think, just as you mentioned, people are kind
<v Speaker 5>of shifting more towards these more beautifully crafted pieces and
<v Speaker 5>getting away from mass market pet products that are focused
<v Speaker 5>more on costs and convenience not so much longevity, sustainability,
<v Speaker 5>and that integration within our homes. So I definitely see
<v Speaker 5>that as a trend, and I think that will continue
<v Speaker 5>in the future, particularly with cat owners seeing their cats
<v Speaker 5>as part of the family and wanting their pieces to
<v Speaker 5>live beautifully within our own homes and spaces.
<v Speaker 2>So what tips can you give our listeners on ways
<v Speaker 2>that they can integrate the essentials, you know, like litter
<v Speaker 2>boxes and scratching posts and feeding stations, possibly water bowls,
<v Speaker 2>water fountains into their home without compromising their esthetic.
<v Speaker 5>I would say start with quality. If you can invest
<v Speaker 5>in high quality, long lasting essentials, I think something that's
<v Speaker 5>well made and thoughtfully designed is automatically easier to integrate
<v Speaker 5>into your home. The materials are going to be better,
<v Speaker 5>proportions are going to be cleaner, and then you're not
<v Speaker 5>going to try to disguise it or feel like you
<v Speaker 5>have to kind of hide it away when you have,
<v Speaker 5>you know, visitors over. They should be pieces that you're
<v Speaker 5>proud to have in your home and starting with quality
<v Speaker 5>across anything you purchase for your cats is a great
<v Speaker 5>place to start. And that quality over quantity reduces that
<v Speaker 5>visual chaos and clutter and really helps to harmonize a home,
<v Speaker 5>making that integration more effortless and easier.
<v Speaker 2>You know, you hit on a great point. Quality is
<v Speaker 2>important and quality is not always more expensive. But if
<v Speaker 2>you think about it whether you should invest, you know,
<v Speaker 2>maybe I don't know. Fancy letterbox can run what three
<v Speaker 2>four or five hundred dollars and you think, hmm, should
<v Speaker 2>I Well, what would you invest in a piece of
<v Speaker 2>furniture and that litter box because basically it's just the
<v Speaker 2>tray that goes in and out. It's the actual say,
<v Speaker 2>it's like a copy table litter box. Look, coffee table
<v Speaker 2>litter box will last quite a while, so when you
<v Speaker 2>think about how long you're going to have it, the
<v Speaker 2>value of it, it just kind of makes sense.
<v Speaker 5>It does. Yeah, And I'm you know, we could get
<v Speaker 5>into like things like the Boots theory of economics in
<v Speaker 5>terms of if you can invest well and something upfront,
<v Speaker 5>it saves you time and cost having to repurchase something
<v Speaker 5>over and over again in the long run. And I
<v Speaker 5>think that applies to things anywhere from you know, a
<v Speaker 5>pet bed to the litter box to anything you're purchasing
<v Speaker 5>for even yourself. If you can invest in that quality
<v Speaker 5>up front, it will pay off in the long run.
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely. And there's something that this is so my background's
<v Speaker 2>in business but marketing and so not finance, but I
<v Speaker 2>always remembered, and hopefully I'm remembering this correctly, something called
<v Speaker 2>the cost benefit analysis, and it's how many times you'll
<v Speaker 2>use something. So even though I had a guest on
<v Speaker 2>a show recently and they're making pet products now, but
<v Speaker 2>they make people products. Their people products are a little
<v Speaker 2>bit more expensive, so instead of maybe fifteen dollars, they're
<v Speaker 2>twenty five. But you can send them back and they'll
<v Speaker 2>you know, resharpen and so forth. So if you think
<v Speaker 2>about the cost of use of that that you know, product,
<v Speaker 2>it comes down to like fractions of cents. And that's
<v Speaker 2>what I think you were referring to. So if you
<v Speaker 2>think about what it costs over time, and you could
<v Speaker 2>apply it to anything clothing, you want to buy those
<v Speaker 2>shoes that cost twelve hundred dollars, I mean not me,
<v Speaker 2>but if you want to buy them, if you're going
<v Speaker 2>to wear them for six years, and it makes sense.
<v Speaker 2>It costs ends up costing you two dollars a pair.
<v Speaker 2>That's a better value than say a pair of shoes
<v Speaker 2>for eighty dollars that you'll wear one time.
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, not to mention just the benefit for the environment
<v Speaker 5>as well. That's a massive problem right now with fast
<v Speaker 5>fashion and fast fashion production principles translate over to pet
<v Speaker 5>goods as well, to where you're buying a blanket that
<v Speaker 5>you know you might use for two or three months
<v Speaker 5>and then you think, oh it's cheap, I'm just gonna
<v Speaker 5>get rid of that and buy a new one, and
<v Speaker 5>that cycle does long lasting harm to the environment. And
<v Speaker 5>it's a great way if you can invest in those
<v Speaker 5>quality pieces that are going to be durable and lasts
<v Speaker 5>longer and not only eventually helps your wallet in consumer pockets,
<v Speaker 5>but it helps the environment as well.
<v Speaker 2>Yes, absolutely, What do you think is one of the
<v Speaker 2>main products that people should focus on that make a
<v Speaker 2>difference in their home? You know that it has to
<v Speaker 2>be perfect and it fit into my home, and that's
<v Speaker 2>going to make all the difference. I'm going to give
<v Speaker 2>you my answer before you tell our audience what you
<v Speaker 2>think it is. I think it's your cat tree because
<v Speaker 2>like mine right now looks like a Seuz cat treeks.
<v Speaker 2>It has this fluffy thing at the top that none
<v Speaker 2>of the cats go on top of. And I don't know.
<v Speaker 2>My significant other liked them, so we bought them. But
<v Speaker 2>they're useless, you know. Not only do they look like
<v Speaker 2>Doctor Seuss things, which is cool, but I don't know
<v Speaker 2>for a living room, but it's not usable. So I
<v Speaker 2>think if you have a great cat trade, that makes
<v Speaker 2>all the difference in you know, how it could fit
<v Speaker 2>in your decor and your esthetic and not make it
<v Speaker 2>look like this is a cat house, you know, especially
<v Speaker 2>when you have at least three like I do. What
<v Speaker 2>do you think?
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, so I actually think investing in multiple comfort zones
<v Speaker 5>for your cats. That could be something like, you know,
<v Speaker 5>a lounge mat that you can move from room to room,
<v Speaker 5>a kneating pad that you can move and always be
<v Speaker 5>able to accommodate your cat's needing, which is great for
<v Speaker 5>their well being. So looking at like lifestyle essentials and
<v Speaker 5>how they can accommodate cat's instinctive behavior to kind of
<v Speaker 5>rotate through different space throughout the home depending on things
<v Speaker 5>like light, temperature, mood, activity. I think when we can
<v Speaker 5>give them soft, intentional places throughout the home, not just
<v Speaker 5>in one dedicated corner, we're supporting their natural territorial and
<v Speaker 5>comfort seeking instincts. And that's something unique at least my
<v Speaker 5>approach to my own cats. I have a multi cat household.
<v Speaker 5>I have four right now. At one point I was
<v Speaker 5>caring for seven, So I think having multiple places throughout
<v Speaker 5>the house for them was really important, and not just
<v Speaker 5>having one designated cat bed or not having one just
<v Speaker 5>designated cat tree area, because they instinctively like to roam,
<v Speaker 5>and having those multiple comfort zones helps to reduce stress
<v Speaker 5>because they feel like they have options in control and
<v Speaker 5>for cats, that choice kind of equates with safety. When
<v Speaker 5>they fill in control of their environment, their stress levels
<v Speaker 5>drop and everything can really improve from there. So I
<v Speaker 5>guess the answer is maybe not one particular item, or
<v Speaker 5>just even if it is one item, something that you
<v Speaker 5>can kind of move and accommodate those multiple comfort zones
<v Speaker 5>throughout the home.
<v Speaker 2>You know what, I absolutely agree with you, because as
<v Speaker 2>I was listening to I thought, do I have that
<v Speaker 2>for my cats? And I was thinking about where they
<v Speaker 2>hang out, you know, the three of them, different places,
<v Speaker 2>and I thought, yes, I do, but one one took
<v Speaker 2>over a human chair like a big like for those
<v Speaker 2>big chair and a halfs. I could see bad ears
<v Speaker 2>because Molly is a little blackie or she's a tuxedo,
<v Speaker 2>so we see it's hers. Then there's another spot that's
<v Speaker 2>where Dennis likes to hang out. Charlotte's all over the
<v Speaker 2>place and she's a little misunderstood. So but yeah, but
<v Speaker 2>I think that's a great idea, and it's also very
<v Speaker 2>doable for if you're in a small space or if
<v Speaker 2>you rent because you're just you just have a little
<v Speaker 2>cozy place for them.
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.
<v Speaker 5>Absolutely.
<v Speaker 2>Okay, we're going to be right back, and we're going
<v Speaker 2>to talk in our second half about purposeful pet ownership
<v Speaker 2>and advocacy beyond adoption. We'll be right back.
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<v Speaker 2>Welcome back everyone. We're talking to Ashley O'Brien. She is
<v Speaker 2>the founder and CEO of Fluff and Boots. We talked
<v Speaker 2>about how to make your home cat friendly, but also
<v Speaker 2>human friendly too, and in our second half we're going
<v Speaker 2>to talk about purposeful pet ownership and advocacy beyond adoption. So, Ashley,
<v Speaker 2>everybody thinks that what can I do for my part?
<v Speaker 2>You know, unfortunately cats, we've come a long way, but
<v Speaker 2>there's so many cats are still unfortunately euthanized. And so
<v Speaker 2>we'll adopt a cat, but you know most people maybe
<v Speaker 2>adopt one two. What can we do after that?
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, So I would say adoption is just the beginning.
<v Speaker 5>Advocacy can really start once your cat is home, and
<v Speaker 5>that's about taking responsibility for their well being and thinking
<v Speaker 5>intentionally about how your choices and even purchase as a
<v Speaker 5>pet parent impact them, impacts your community and even the environment,
<v Speaker 5>so that responsibility can be practical everyday actions like making
<v Speaker 5>sure your cat is of course spade or neutered. It
<v Speaker 5>can be supporting local T and R programs, choosing more
<v Speaker 5>high quality, non toxic, ethically made products for your pets,
<v Speaker 5>and then modeling responsible care for friends and family. And
<v Speaker 5>I think it's important for listeners to know, or just
<v Speaker 5>a good reminder for all of us that advocacy doesn't
<v Speaker 5>have to be grand gestures. It's about small, consistent choices
<v Speaker 5>that really add up over time. So I like to
<v Speaker 5>think with every intentional decision, from what you buy to
<v Speaker 5>the conversations you have with other pet parents, it really
<v Speaker 5>becomes a way to support the larger cat community. And
<v Speaker 5>if you can share your experience with your cat, I mean,
<v Speaker 5>I know, not declining is so important, and a lot
<v Speaker 5>of people don't realize the extreme consequences and how invasive
<v Speaker 5>of a procedure decline is. So if you can just
<v Speaker 5>share a little bit about that with another cat parent
<v Speaker 5>or someone interested in adopting a cat who might not
<v Speaker 5>know how awful of a procedure it is, then those
<v Speaker 5>small things can really make a big difference.
<v Speaker 2>By the way, did you watch hopefully. I'm saying this
<v Speaker 2>remembering this quickly. American Cat, The Good, the Bad, the Cuddy.
<v Speaker 5>I did it. No, No, I did not. I miss that.
<v Speaker 5>But it's a documentary, right.
<v Speaker 2>Yes, it's so good. I actually had the director and
<v Speaker 2>she was also in it. The protagonist was an english
<v Speaker 2>woman who's like nine lines pregnant, and it was very
<v Speaker 2>tongue in cheek and it's so good and it really
<v Speaker 2>goes to show how people are, you know, there's just
<v Speaker 2>so many people that are unaware. There's Yeah, in one
<v Speaker 2>part and this is a spoiler alert. In one part
<v Speaker 2>of the show, she is calling a vet and she
<v Speaker 2>said she's mocking this, right. She goes, oh, you know
<v Speaker 2>have a cat and I just you know, I just
<v Speaker 2>adopted a cat, but I have a brand new couch
<v Speaker 2>and I don't want it to get clawed up, so
<v Speaker 2>you know, can I just get the nails taken off,
<v Speaker 2>you know claw? And they go, yeah, sure you can
<v Speaker 2>do that. You guys, well, is there like a discount?
<v Speaker 2>Does it buy one pod, get one free? Oh we
<v Speaker 2>could make something work. I'm not doing a verbatim, of course,
<v Speaker 2>but you know, oh, we could make something work. She goes, yeah,
<v Speaker 2>because my couch is so nice. I don't want it
<v Speaker 2>to get messed up. And their the vet office is
<v Speaker 2>just going a lot. You know, yeah, we could do
<v Speaker 2>that one do you want to command? And it's just like,
<v Speaker 2>you know.
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, I know. And one of my friends, her interior designer,
<v Speaker 5>was like, oh, you should get your cat decloud before
<v Speaker 5>it gets older, and you know, things like that. It
<v Speaker 5>doesn't make a difference if you de quad cat when
<v Speaker 5>it's a kitten or when it's an adult. It's long lasting,
<v Speaker 5>lifelong damage that you're doing. They can't properly need, they
<v Speaker 5>can't stretch, and we actually include an info sheet with
<v Speaker 5>every need at pad we sell that just highlights, you know,
<v Speaker 5>some facts about decline, like the myths, but we also
<v Speaker 5>include tips to care for an already declawed cat, because
<v Speaker 5>what happens is if a de cloud cat is adopted
<v Speaker 5>out of a shelter. Unfortunately, the surrender rate is very
<v Speaker 5>high for deep cloud cats because it causes behavioral issues
<v Speaker 5>because they're in pain and they can't you know, engage
<v Speaker 5>in those natural soothing behaviors. So we try to actually
<v Speaker 5>integrate that type of awareness and advocacy even into our
<v Speaker 5>customer experience and within the products we sell, because I
<v Speaker 5>truly believe if people know, then they would make the
<v Speaker 5>decision to not declaw their cat. And genuinely, people just
<v Speaker 5>don't realize how bad it is. So that's something small
<v Speaker 5>that we do to help educate, you know, maybe even
<v Speaker 5>first time cat owners about be line well being.
<v Speaker 2>I'm so glad you do that. Just to talk briefly
<v Speaker 2>a little bit more. There was a point in an
<v Speaker 2>interview and for folks that are interested, just look on
<v Speaker 2>Petlife radio, dot com, Catitude and just do research. It
<v Speaker 2>was American Cat, The Good, Bad, the Cudley. I remember
<v Speaker 2>one point during the interview when I said, well, if
<v Speaker 2>you have cats, just get you know, furniture that's friendly.
<v Speaker 2>And she said, I have you know, clients in because
<v Speaker 2>she's a veterinarian that was one of the spokespeople for
<v Speaker 2>the movie that I had on the show, and she said,
<v Speaker 2>I have clients in Beverly Hills with gorgeous, you know furniture.
<v Speaker 2>There's other alternatives if you can, you know. And there's
<v Speaker 2>the fake nails for your cats. There's scratching posts, but
<v Speaker 2>I have a scratching post right next to my couch.
<v Speaker 2>And Dennis prefers the couch couch. And also keep in
<v Speaker 2>mind a lot of people misunderstand that decline. It's cutting
<v Speaker 2>a joint off.
<v Speaker 5>Yep, it's more like amputation than Yes.
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, all right, we went off on that, but you know,
<v Speaker 2>well that's again educate people. And you know, my next
<v Speaker 2>question to you is kind of what we talked about.
<v Speaker 2>What does purposeful pet ownership mean to you?
<v Speaker 5>Oh gosh, I would say, purposefu pet ownership means making
<v Speaker 5>everyday decisions that consider not only my cat's own well being,
<v Speaker 5>but also the broader community and the environmental and societal
<v Speaker 5>impact of my purchases as a pet parrot. So on
<v Speaker 5>a daily level, that means creating an environment that supports
<v Speaker 5>my cat's instincts and comfort, but it also extends well
<v Speaker 5>beyond the home. So that means being mindful of where
<v Speaker 5>I spend my money and the brands I support, choosing
<v Speaker 5>products that are made responsibly. And I think as pet
<v Speaker 5>owners we have tremendous collective influence. The brands we support,
<v Speaker 5>the materials we bring into our homes, and the conversations
<v Speaker 5>we normalize. All of that has ripple effects. So purposeful
<v Speaker 5>ownership is really about recognizing that loving your own cat
<v Speaker 5>and being able to contribute positively to the larger ecosystem.
<v Speaker 5>Aren't separate things that they're really connected in terms of
<v Speaker 5>showing love for your own cat and the larger feeline
<v Speaker 5>well being community.
<v Speaker 2>How can our listeners find out more about these types
<v Speaker 2>of businesses.
<v Speaker 5>Well for fluff and boots like my business, what we
<v Speaker 5>do is, you know, we try to really integrate that
<v Speaker 5>advocacy and awareness directly into our marketing. How we really
<v Speaker 5>share our mission and not just from a PR or
<v Speaker 5>marketing campaign perspective. But I think if people you know,
<v Speaker 5>can kind of ask questions when they're evaluating which brands
<v Speaker 5>to support and purchase, it's really if their mission is
<v Speaker 5>visible past the marketing and PR copy. So asking themselves,
<v Speaker 5>is the mission backed into how they run their business?
<v Speaker 5>Are their product sourced responsibly? Things like are they actually
<v Speaker 5>tackling the root causes of issues like shelter overpopulation or
<v Speaker 5>are they just writing occasional checks to kind of highlight
<v Speaker 5>their give back efforts. So I think brands that integrate
<v Speaker 5>giving into their operations rather than treating it as marketing
<v Speaker 5>or as a campaign, demonstrate that true commitment. And as consumers,
<v Speaker 5>we have the power to kind of vote with our
<v Speaker 5>wallets and support companies that approach pet welfare thoughtfully and consistently.
<v Speaker 5>And I always have to say support small businesses and
<v Speaker 5>small independent brands when you can. There's research that shows
<v Speaker 5>just how much more generous small businesses are compared to
<v Speaker 5>the larger pet brands or larger corporations in terms of
<v Speaker 5>give back as a percentage, and small businesses tend to
<v Speaker 5>be more engaged within their local communities on the ground,
<v Speaker 5>supporting their local shelters and the T and R. It
<v Speaker 5>kind of goes back to the importance of T and
<v Speaker 5>R spay and neuter. If you can support brands that
<v Speaker 5>recognize the importance of that, then that's a great place
<v Speaker 5>to start in terms of making your purchase count towards
<v Speaker 5>helping not only your own cat, but that larger community
<v Speaker 5>for feline welfare.
<v Speaker 2>Thank you. Is there a place or something you can
<v Speaker 2>suggest where our listeners can find more small businesses that
<v Speaker 2>support animal welfare, especially cats.
<v Speaker 5>You know, that's a great question. I'm not aware of
<v Speaker 5>a database or a website. I know sometimes there are
<v Speaker 5>apps for things like you know, for healthy food for
<v Speaker 5>us as right nance, but I'm not sure. Yeah, that
<v Speaker 5>would be a great idea to create one if someone
<v Speaker 5>hasn't already curated a list of small brands that have,
<v Speaker 5>you know, very high quality, ethically made pet products.
<v Speaker 2>You can generally find these kind of products in privately
<v Speaker 2>owned small pet stores. Yeah, for sure, because a lot
<v Speaker 2>of the smaller pet stores will support smaller businesses because
<v Speaker 2>they don't have to jump through a bunch of hoops
<v Speaker 2>and spend a lot of money to get into you know,
<v Speaker 2>mass or even specialized but chain pet stores.
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, that's true, and that definitely goes back to supporting
<v Speaker 5>local businesses within your community. I found that a lot
<v Speaker 5>of my local pet stores give back to local shelters
<v Speaker 5>and rescue organizations, So it's a really nice circle. Everything
<v Speaker 5>comes three sixty when you can shop small and support
<v Speaker 5>those local retailers that in turn are supporting small brands,
<v Speaker 5>you know, like Fluff and Boots and the others out
<v Speaker 5>there trying to make high quality, ethically made products.
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, let's bring it in with cats, because we're almost done.
<v Speaker 2>What is one misconception you think people have about cat
<v Speaker 2>lovers that you would like to change besides the crazy
<v Speaker 2>cat lady business where that one's been done.
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, I think this extends to all cat owners, but
<v Speaker 5>there is definitely a misconception that cat owners are kind
<v Speaker 5>of introverted or even lazy. But as I'm sure we
<v Speaker 5>and your listeners know, caring for a cat requires very
<v Speaker 5>active presence, consistent and deeply intentional care. So I think
<v Speaker 5>maybe for you know, people who've never owned a cat,
<v Speaker 5>or people who know say that they're more dog person
<v Speaker 5>risk cat person, it might look passive or lazy from
<v Speaker 5>the outside, but actually, you know, being a cat owner
<v Speaker 5>is incredibly engaging, and we are no less outgoing or
<v Speaker 5>active or happy than dog owners. It's just a quieter
<v Speaker 5>and perhaps more beautifully complex kind of love instead of
<v Speaker 5>being a bit more loud in terms of being able
<v Speaker 5>to go to dog parks, and I think cats are
<v Speaker 5>left out of the conversation a lot in terms of
<v Speaker 5>even seeing them in media and different nonprofit events. So
<v Speaker 5>I think we have a more quieter kind of love.
<v Speaker 5>But the misconception that being a cat owner cat person
<v Speaker 5>is the lazy or you know, easier option in terms
<v Speaker 5>of pet ownership is definitely a misconception I would change
<v Speaker 5>and challenge.
<v Speaker 2>I agree with you. I think it's because it's rare
<v Speaker 2>that you can see cats that walk although you can
<v Speaker 2>train them to walk, but you always have to walk
<v Speaker 2>your dogs. I think one misconception I would think, I
<v Speaker 2>think is that cats all have the same personality. And
<v Speaker 2>I've had dogs. I started my you know, when I
<v Speaker 2>was a child, we always had dogs, not cats, and
<v Speaker 2>then got into cats when Dennis found me. And my
<v Speaker 2>cats are so different they have very distinct personalities. I
<v Speaker 2>think that's such a misconception when people say, well, dogs,
<v Speaker 2>you know they're did this, did this. But cats know
<v Speaker 2>they're and they're bright. They're a lot smarter than people
<v Speaker 2>give them credit work.
<v Speaker 5>That's so true. I love that because I all of
<v Speaker 5>my cats have been so different and complex and their
<v Speaker 5>personalities and I feel like I'm living in a cartoon
<v Speaker 5>show with.
<v Speaker 2>Yes, yes, and they're just They do such funny things
<v Speaker 2>like right before I don't know how they know when
<v Speaker 2>the time changes, they still know the right time for dinner.
<v Speaker 2>And Dennis does this weird thing so right when I
<v Speaker 2>go to bed, because I watch a TV in the
<v Speaker 2>living room to chill and then you know TV's off, Okay,
<v Speaker 2>time to go. He could be dozing. As soon as
<v Speaker 2>that TV's off, he gets up because he knows I'm
<v Speaker 2>gonna grab water. It's Dan and he gets his snack
<v Speaker 2>every single time. And if I fake him out and
<v Speaker 2>go to bed a little earlier, a little later, he's
<v Speaker 2>right there. Where's my treat? Yeah, it's hysterical. Okay, last question,
<v Speaker 2>and thank you so much for all of your input
<v Speaker 2>and insight. It's been wonderful. If you could change one
<v Speaker 2>thing about the pet industry, what would it be.
<v Speaker 5>I would say more accountability for the bigger pet brands
<v Speaker 5>and the big box pet retailers. You know, we kind
<v Speaker 5>of touch briefly on adoption and T and R and
<v Speaker 5>I think the give back of small businesses is so wonderful.
<v Speaker 5>And if the larger players in the pet industry could
<v Speaker 5>step up and use those billion dollar profits and resources
<v Speaker 5>to collectively end or help phase out things like the
<v Speaker 5>horrific cat and dog meat trade and countries where they're
<v Speaker 5>making their products, you know, they could certainly help solve
<v Speaker 5>the overpopulation crisis that so many rescuers are struggling with
<v Speaker 5>right now by redirecting funds into things like T and
<v Speaker 5>R and spay and neuter programs versus simply writing checks
<v Speaker 5>to over crowded shelters, which actually, you know, we could
<v Speaker 5>probably do a whole segment just on this. Yes, over
<v Speaker 5>crowded shelters actually serve as huge money makers for these
<v Speaker 5>larger big pet and big vet industries, So you know,
<v Speaker 5>I think some that I want to do as a
<v Speaker 5>small business owner is to challenge that status quo and
<v Speaker 5>you know, eventually have productive conversations with the larger pet
<v Speaker 5>industry players to be able to actually help solve things
<v Speaker 5>like shelter overcrowding and tackling problems from the start with
<v Speaker 5>T and R initiatives. I think T and R shouldn't
<v Speaker 5>be grassroots right now. It's very much kind of like
<v Speaker 5>grassroots effort, and if there's more resources to make that
<v Speaker 5>you know, a bit more structured and organized and well funded.
<v Speaker 5>The impact that organized, well funded T and R programs
<v Speaker 5>could have has in a tremendous ripple effect, and that
<v Speaker 5>could do so much to help shelters and the rescuers
<v Speaker 5>who are struggling and relying on donations every day. So
<v Speaker 5>I think just shifting the pet industry to have just
<v Speaker 5>a little bit more focus on purpose instead of just
<v Speaker 5>profit profit profit could do so much. The feline welfare space.
<v Speaker 2>Okay, thank you, I want to thank you so much
<v Speaker 2>for coming on Catitude. Thank you Ashley. Where can people
<v Speaker 2>find out more about Fluff and Boots.
<v Speaker 5>So we are on socials at Fluff and Boots on
<v Speaker 5>Instagram and Facebook and then our website is Fluffanboots dot com.
<v Speaker 2>Well, thank you very much and I'm so glad you
<v Speaker 2>were able to come on the show.
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, thank you, Michelle. I appreciate it.
<v Speaker 2>So I hope you enjoyed this episode. I want to
<v Speaker 2>thank Ashley O'Brien, the CEO and founder of Fluff and
<v Speaker 2>Boots for coming on Cataitude. Thank you my cat listeners
<v Speaker 2>for listening to Cataitude. We have over three hundred episodes
<v Speaker 2>of Catitude to you to listen to, so if you've
<v Speaker 2>just become a fan, thank you so much and check
<v Speaker 2>out the earlier episodes. Thanks to my cat crew Dennis,
<v Speaker 2>Charlotte and Mollie. Love you guys. Thanks of course to
<v Speaker 2>my amazing producer Mark Winter for all you do. The
<v Speaker 2>show would not be the same at all without the
<v Speaker 2>magic of Mark Winter. And hey remember lose to Attitude,
<v Speaker 2>have Catitude.
<v Speaker 4>Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on Petlight
<v Speaker 4>Radio dot com.