Trains! Such adorable little vestiges of a golden era gone by, so rich in quaint customs like not allowing pets onboard, even as those young upstart airlines have accepted furry friends for decades. But Amtrak is possibly going to change that, with a new trial policy of allowing dogs and cats on trains — but just on certain routes for now. [More]
cats
A Friendly Reminder: Check Furniture For Cats Before Donating It To Charity
By 4.3.14
It is a very good thing to donate to the charity of your choice. But unless that charity is looking for a furry friend, it’s best to check all donated items for the presence of your cat, especially if he has an affinity for hiding in places like say, that old couch you don’t want anymore. [More]
Flea Collar Makers Agree To Eventually Phase Out Collars Containing Toxic Chemical
By 3.14.14
Facing a lawsuit for allowing manufacturers to produce flea collars containing a pesticide that is a known neurotoxin and carcinogen, the folks at the Environmental Protection Agency, along with two major pet product companies, have agreed to phase out these controversial collars over the next few years. [More]
Why Would Anyone Steal $342 In Cat Food? To Sell To A Friend With 300 Cats, Obviously
By 2.7.14
There are always going to be bad consumers out there doing bad things, like stealing from Walmart. Awful. But not all bad consumers have reasons for thieving that can make us start laughing uncontrollably, then in starts and fits every time we think about it again. Presenting: The guy who stole $342 worth in cat food so he could sell it to his friend who has 300 cats. [More]
Some Hubbard Life, Joy, QC+ Dog & Cat Foods Recalled Because Salmonella Is Not Vet-Recommended
By 2.6.14
Ohio-based Pro-Pet LLC has issued a limited recall of varieties of three of its dry dog and cat food brands — Hubbard Life, Joy, and QC+ — over concerns about possible salmonella contamination. [More]
This Cat Needs A New Home After Living In A Home Depot For 13 Years
By 1.21.14
The world was Depot’s oyster, and that world is the Home Depot. See, Depot is a cat and her home is Home Depot (try saying that three times fast). She’s lived in a South Carolina store for 13 years, but that life of trolling for pests, snuggling up with paint cans and greeting workers in the morning is about to end. She’s getting the boot after triggering the store’s security alarms one time too many. [More]
Is It Wrong For A Pet Store To Leave Cats Unattended During Christmas?
By 12.23.13
Most of us have the next couple of days off from work, which is fine since most of us have jobs where the well-being of a domesticated animal is not at stake. But one PetSmart volunteer says Corporate HQ has decreed that employees can’t come in on Christmas to check on the cats in the stores, which he believes is putting these animals at risk. [More]
18 Cats That Can’t Resist Lounging In Amazon Boxes
By 10.23.13 — Updated: 1.26.15
As everyone who has owned a cat or seen the Internet knows, cats love boxes. America’s cats aren’t quite sure what to make of the news that Amazon has increased the free Super Saver Shipping threshold to $35, from the original $25. On the one paw, this might mean that their households will be getting fewer packages from Amazon and fewer boxes to lounge in. Or could it drive more cat owners to get Amazon Prime and thus have more boxes to lounge in? [More]
Littermaid Replaces Entire Automatic Litter Box When My Repair Goes Awry
By 4.10.13
Jasmin received the best housewarming gift ever: a Littermaid self-cleaning litterbox. Well, I suppose it’s not a very good gift if you don’t have a cat, but Jasmin was very pleased with it. When the electric adapter’s end got stuck inside the unit, she tried to get it out, but failed. Instead of just running on batteries as it had been, now the whole thing was useless. What could she do? She couldn’t afford a whole new Littermaid, and hadn’t had the new one for all that long anyway. So she checked in with the company to see whether they could just replace the relevant part. They just sent her a whole new setup instead. [More]
Natura Pet Recalls Four Brands Of Cat And Dog Foods For Possible Salmonella Contamination
By 3.19.13 — Updated: 3.20.13
It seems like only a week ago that we last shared with you the news of a pet food recall––because it was. This week, a kibble sample from Natura Pet turned up with salmonella bacteria, and the company has recalled a wide variety of cat and dog kibbles sold under the California Natural, Evo, Healthwise, and Innova brand names. [More]
10 Things We Learned From Time’s Analysis Of Why We Pay So Darn Much For Healthcare
By 2.22.13 — Updated: 2.25.13
If you have some time this weekend, sit down and read the fantastic cover story in this week’s Time magazine, “Bitter Pill.” In it, Steven Brill lays out over 36 print pages (11, when laid out for the web) a core question that no one really ever asks in the course of the debate over health care in this country: why are our bills so high? More importantly, why are our bills so high when only un- or underinsured middle-class people seem to pay the sticker price for their medical care? [More]
Accidental Pet Poisonings On The Rise: Keep Your Meds Out Of Rover’s Reach
By 2.13.13
My friend’s dog has a drug problem. If there are Nyquill gel caps anywhere in the apartment, she will seek them out and snarf down as many as she can. Which leads to said friend panicking and having to call pet poison control, pay $65 to discuss what happened and then mix up a dish of hydrogen peroxide and peanut butter per their instructions to make her throw up the meds. It’s not fun, and she’s not alone — a new study says accidental pet poisonings in the U.S. are on the rise. [More]
Apparently All Gingers Look The Same To Wells Fargo Because I Am Not A Cat
By 2.12.13
I get it — redheads are rare and so some people might not realize that hey, that ginger in a picture is actually somebody else. We all look the same to some people, so whatever. But for one Wells Fargo debit card holder, that hair color blindness has apparently led someone at Wells Fargo very far astray, as the bank allowed a ginger cat to be featured on his card instead of an actual human being. [More]
Monopoly Fans Have Spoken: Out Goes The Iron And In Comes The New Cat Token
By 2.6.13
The people have spoken: Monopoly boards will soon welcome a new token — the cat. Hasbro closed its voting Tuesday at midnight on what the newest token would be, as well as which would get the boot. We’re sorry to inform any fans of wrinkle-free clothing that the iron has been slated for retirement. Hope you like cats. [More]
Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
By 12.7.12
Here are five of the best photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or just plain neatness. [More]
Animal Shelters Make ‘Black Friday’ Literal, Adopt Out Black Pets For Free
By 11.20.12
You may have noticed in the past few years that the staff and readers of this site are rather fond of animals. Specifically, cats, and the occasional dog. That’s why we wholeheartedly support a Black Friday promotion we can get behind that involves no doorbusters, no big-ticket item lines, and can even help you get rid of your leftover turkey this holiday weekend. We’re referring to the Black Friday weekend adoption promotions aimed at finding homes for black cats and dogs. [More]
L.A. Pet Shops Won’t Be Able To Sell Pets From Puppy Mills
By 10.25.12
Following similar bans by smaller municipalities in the U.S. and Canada, the Los Angeles City Council has tentatively adopted a ban on pet stores’ sales of many animals obtained from commercial breeders. [More]
TSA Lets Sickly Taiwan-Bound Cat Loose In JFK Airport
By 10.25.12
Xiaohwa is a pretty ordinary 4-year-old tabby who lives in Queens. Her owner had to temporarily move back to Taiwan to care for her ailing father, and misses her cat, so a friend traveling there agreed to bring Xiaohwa along. Their flight took off a week ago, but there was no cat on it. During a TSA check, she escaped from her carrier. Now she’s been on her own at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport for seven days. [More]
