Back in April, I introduced the new Maow wall-mounted feeder from Vurv Design. Based on some of the comments that Moderncat readers left, the design team over at Vurv developed a new version of the feeder, the Maow Deluxe feeder. This feeder has three bowls, including a large one-quart bowl for water and two shallow feeding saucers, making it easier to keep water full and fresh and allowing you to feed two types of food at the same time.

We received one of the new Deluxe feeders so my crew could give it a test run. As you can see, it’s a big hit. Flora, Ando, Sophie, and Simba are all shown here giving it a try. It’s the perfect height for everyone and there’s plenty of room for food and water. I absolutely love this feeder! It is so nice to have the dishes up off the floor, making it easier for the cats to eat and for me to clean the floor. And it has a beautiful, clean modern look. I chose a gloss white top with dark Wenge wood veneer on the side. The Maow Deluxe feeder is one of my new favorite items!

Congratulations to Jennifer from Chappell, Nebraska, winner of the Asian-style raised feeder from TrendyPet. Jennifer chose the red bowls for her moderncats. Very stylish!

DISCOUNT COUPON

If you still need one of these excellent feeders, you can get 5% off your order at TrendyPet.com by entering coupon code trendy5off at checkout.

Great news for Moderncat fans Down Under. Ree-Yong’s Copenhagen Collection will be available in Australia starting on June 4, 2009. Sydneysiders will finally be able to get their paws on this gorgeous contemporary cat condo, plus if you order before June 15, you will receive FREE DELIVERY in the Sydney area for a limited time.

The Ree-Yong Pet Lifestyle collection is currently being offered in Signapore and now in Australia exclusively through Glamorpuss.

These sturdy and stylish cat feeders from Stoney Creek Pet Feeders & Memorials are made from a solid slab of polished granite with two inset stainless steel bowls. The slab rests on solid granite legs with non-skid feet to protect floors. Feeders measure 12 inches by 12 inches and stand 4 inches high.

You can custom order your feeder in a variety of granite colors and textures. $150 USD. Available from My Cats Heaven or from Stoney Creek’s Etsy shop.

Please be aware that Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in the finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Get all the details on the Nutro Products website.

Seattle-based These Creatures Inc. just expanded their line of sustainably and functionally designed pet products with these cool new raised pet feeders. Like their hanging feeders, the raised feeders are made of durable powder coated steel with removable stainless steel bowls. Available in small, medium and large.

All of the products from These Creatures are made in the USA, designed and manufactured under one roof.

As a perfect follow-up to the recent post about avoiding plastic feeding dishes, this month’s giveaway features a sleek Asian-style elevated feeder from TrendyPet. In addition to providing health benefits by using ceramic bowls instead of plastic, this feeder also helps with kitty’s digestion because it is raised, improving eating posture.

The winner will receive a 4″ elevated feeder with their choice or red or white bowls. To enter, sign-up to receive Moderncat updates via email. Full giveaway details here. Drawing will be held on May 31.

Congratulations to Alicia from Stafford, VA, winner of the Stor-in-Style designer cat food container. Alicia can now store her cat food with style and peace of mind!

Limited Time Discount

If you didn’t win but you still need a safe and stylish place to stash kitty’s kibble, take advantage of the limited time offer at Stor-in-Style, pet food containers will be on sale for $32.95 (regular price $38.95) now through May 5. Get yours today!

Here’s a creative fundraiser! Shadow Cats Rescue is raffling over 40 different $50 gift cards from a wide variety of retailers, everything from Barnes & Noble to IKEA to Target. You can buy as many chances to win as you like at a suggested donation of $2 per ticket. Get all the details, and your tickets, here.

Established in 1997, Shadow Cats is a non-profit organization in central Texas dedicated to improving the lives of feral (or, as they like to call them, “scarel”), stray, and abandoned cats — especially those deemed “unadoptable.” Founders Sheila Smith and her husband Roy (a veterinarian) — along with a crew of about 40 volunteers — are also involved in TNR efforts in the area (300 cats last year alone). The Shadow Cats sanctuary has a room dedicated to cats with Feline Leukemia, fully equipped with its own kitty cam so you can keep an eye on everyone while you work. It’s very fun to watch! You’ll get to know all the cats on the kitty cam.

Do you know of any other special fundraisers benefiting cats?

I’ve received several emails from readers about different cat rescue organizations. I’d like to find a way to share this info, so I’m thinking of creating a monthly round-up of cat rescue fundraisers. Please email information about specific fundraising activities at your local cat rescue or shelter to kate [at] moderncat [dot] net and I’ll be happy to post once a month.

Have you given any thought to the type of material used in your cat’s food bowl and food storage container? Well, I recently learned a little about this topic when faced with Mackenzie’s breakout of kitty acne (see photo below - it’s not pretty.) This is really a two-part issue:

1) Plastic pet food dishes and containers can trap bacteria that causes kitty acne. What is kitty acne? It looks like little black flakes usually found on the chin and around the mouth. Not all cats are prone to acne, but when they do get a bad case, like Mackenzie did, it can lead to open sores and infection. I treated Mackenzie with antibiotics and “kitty facials” with a cleanser followed by Neutrogena On-the-Spot acne treatment, as prescribed by my vet. He’s all better now, but I also switched all the food and water dishes to porcelain*. Stainless steel, ceramic*, glass, and stoneware* are all excellent options, too, because they are not porous like plastic, which can trap oily food particles and harbor bacteria. It’s also very important to thoroughly clean and dry all food and water dishes daily and food storage containers weekly.

* With any glazed material, make sure that the glaze is food grade, it should not be marked “for decoration only.”

And as if that wasn’t bad enough…

2) Some plastics can contain chemicals that may leach into your cat’s food and water, possibly causing other health issues. This is a controversial issue which has been in the media quite a bit over the past year, specifically regarding Bisphenol-A (BpA) in water bottles and children’s products, as well as phthalates in other plastic products. Apparently not all plastics are bad, but since we really don’t know much about the long-term effects of eating and drinking out of plastic, I’m choosing to avoid it whenever possible, for both me and my cats (which is proving to be MUCH easier to do for the cats than it is for me!) Research done by Environmental Working Group has shown that pets have much higher levels of chemical contamination than humans, some up to 23 times the levels. The study points out that “with their compressed lifespans, developing and aging seven or more times faster than children, pets also develop health problems from exposures much more rapidly.” This is a complicated study that looks into chemical contaminants from multiple sources, but if eliminating plastic food containers might help just a little, it’s an easy change to make.

There are lots of beautiful and functional non-plastic pet food bowls available. If you haven’t already, please consider making this change.

BONUS GIVEAWAY!

And to help you make a change with your cat food storage, the folks at Stor-in-Style are offering one lucky winner a designer metal food storage container. The metal canister has a durable, non-toxic powder-coated finish and comes with six graphic decals and a metal scoop. To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling us what you currently use to store your cat food. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on April 24.

Brand new from Vurv Design, their sleek and elegant Maow feeder is now available in a wall-mounted design. Two wide shallow stainless steel dishes allow plenty of room for sensitive whiskers, plus kitty will get the benefits of eating from a raised feeder (better digestion due to improved eating posture).

The Maow feeder attaches easily to the wall, simply attach the bracket and slide the feeder on and off for easy cleaning. This is one of the most beautiful feeding dishes I have seen!

Italian pet design importer Pet Ego just announced two new colors in their product line — chocolate and ivory. You can now get several of their most popular items, including the Vicci litterbox and Linda litter scoop, in these lovely mod hues.

Congratulations to Carla from Springfield, Il, winner of a Maow Cat Feeder from Vurv Design! Of the six different finishes, Carla chose a bamboo feeder. Enjoy!

Keep kitty’s leftovers fresh with these cute “meow!” cat food can covers. Available in a set of 2 from Wrapables.com.

Introducing the newest player in modern pet design, Urban Pet Haus. Just launching their website today, this company promises to make its mark on the world of modern pet design. With a variety of product concepts on their site, the folks behind Urban Pet Haus are planning to turn to you, the modern pet owner, for feedback on exactly which designs they should put into production. And of course they are turning to Moderncat readers first!

Current concepts include super stylish perching shelves, streamlined beds, and ultra cool scratching surfaces, all designed to complement a modern interior perfectly. They are also working on some luxe feeders as well as several enclosed cat dwellings, ideal for an afternoon cat nap. The designs that I’m most excited about are the modern pet stairs. This is something that no one else has tackled. Stay tuned to Moderncat for more information about the Urban Pet Haus stairs, coming soon! In the meantime, please leave a comment here with your feedback for the Urban Pet Haus team. They’d love to hear from you!

The designers at Wetnoz decided to give their ultra mod Studio Collection pet bowls a Valentine make-over, adding a beautiful rose color to the line. All the Studio bowls are made from durable FDA-grade plastic with a no-slip rubber foot. The scoop shape makes them easy to use and they are priced quite affordably. The new rose bowls come in 1 cup and 3 cup sizes.

via Dara over at PupStyle

There seems to be some controversy this week about whether or not pink is a suitable color for a true Moderncat fan. I would argue that in an appropriate shade — and in a reasonable amount — pink can be quite modern, especially in the spirit of Valentine’s Day. Here are some of my favorite pink moderncat products:

• Pod Bed from Hepper Home in Candy Pink
• Red Tango Tote Bag in Black and Pink
• Nest Bed from Hepper Home in Candy Pink
• Square Meal Cat Bowl
• Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed in Blossom Pink
• Red Tango Keychain Clock
• Imac Linus Pink Cat Carrier
• Toby’s Bowl from Cats Rule in Passion Pink
• Booda Dome Litter Box in Pink

We’re very excited to offer for the February giveaway the brand new Maow cat feeder from the fabulous Canadian pet product company Vurv Design. Vurv designs and produces some of the most exquisite handmade pet products in the industry. Moderncat has featured the spectacular Wowo pet bed before, as well as their elegant Ellipse bed. The Maow feeder is the newest addition to Vurv’s sleek and modern line of products.

Maow is a raised feeder designed especially for cats. It is just the right height to provide the health benefits of a raised feeder (decreased stress while eating leading to improved digestion) plus it has a special shallow stainless steel bowl that allows plenty of room for kitty’s delicate whiskers. Made from bent plywood with real wood veneers and metal laminates, Maow comes in six different finish options: maple, cherry, bamboo, wenge, aluminum/white, and aluminum/red. The winner will get to choose a finish. The feeder is approximately 4″ tall, 7″ wide and 8″ deep.

Make sure you are signed-up to receive Moderncat email updates in order to be entered to win the monthly giveaway. The drawing will take place on February 28. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

Introducing a stylish new line of contemporary pet furniture from designer Ree-Yong. The Copenhagen Collection includes several sleek, upscale pieces suitable for the hippest modern urban interiors. Featuring clean lines and durable, low-maintenance materials, these are definitely items you would be happy to have on display.

The Copenhagen Cat Condo consists of three stackable faux leather boxes. The top box is meant for storing toys and other accessories, the middle box is fitted with a washable mock suede cushion for luxury napping, and the bottom box houses a hidden litter box with disposable cardboard tray liner.

Coordinating with the cat condo is a faux leather Cat Scratch-bar with refillable cardboard insert and a beautiful Cat Dinnerware Set including a faux leather tray and two chunky square ceramic bowls.

The Copenhagen Collection comes in white or brown and is available at a handful of boutiques in Hong Kong or if you are in Singapore, please visit Glamorpuss where you can shop online or find a store. For orders outside Hong Kong and Singapore, you’ll have to contact Ree-Yong directly and they will be happy to assist you.

Busy schedule? Traveling a lot? Tired of your 4 am wake-up call from fuzzball? Or maybe kitty is starting to look a little round, tipping the scales at an unhealthy weight. You may need an automatic pet feeder. There are several on the market, but I want to tell you about the Cadillac of automatic pet feeders, The Perfect Pet Feeder from Pillar Pet Products.

First of all, Pillar Pet is a small company based in Washington state and they take great pride in producing a top-quality product. The Perfect Pet Feeder was invented when the company founders had a health scare with their overweight orange tabby, Oscar. They had to find a way to reduce Oscar’s weight, so they tried every automatic feeder on the market, but each one had some problem so they set out to build their own and have truly perfected the design and function. Here are some of the issues they tackled:

Pet-proof design - No cat thieves here! The paw-proof latch keeps the lid secure and food safely inside, plus no amount of bumping or jostling the feeder will cause it to dispense accidentally.

Quick & Easy Programming - A simple interface lets you set the feeder for between 1 and 6 feedings per day.

Precise Portion Control - Each meal can be set for an exact amount from as little as a teaspoon up to several cups. The patented all-steel dispensing mechanism can handle any size or shape of dry pet food without jamming or crushing the food.

Power Outage Protection - No need to worry if there is a power failure while you are away because the Perfect Pet Feeder’s battery back-up system will keep the feeder working for days.

Safe Materials & Easy to Clean - My favorite feature is that all of the components that come in contact with the food are made of hypoallergenic stainless steel and can be disassembled and placed in the dishwasher. No other automatic pet feeder can claim this! Others include plastic parts that leach contaminants into the food or parts that do not come apart and cannot be easily cleaned, allowing the build-up of rancid food particles and oils. Yuck!

There are many other features including “suspend mode” if you and your pets will be away and a refill alert that warns you before the food runs out. The feeder comes in black or white and every feeder comes with a single and a double bowl.

The Perfect Pet Feeder is more than just a nifty little gadget, it can really have a positive impact on your life and your pet’s. It’s not just about feeding your pet, it’s about regulating portions and timing regular meals throughout the day. Both can improve your cat’s heath by balancing metabolism. Check out the before and after photos of Nueve to see how he benefited from having a consistent feeding routine.

Having a consistent routine not only regulates health issues, but it leads to a less stressful day, because kitty will learn that her meals will be delivered regularly and reliably. No more begging for you to feed her, now you can spend quality time with her and enjoy each others company.

The Perfect Pet Feeder is available only through the Pillar Pet website, and not from other retailers. This is because they want to maintain a close relationship with each and every customer. They know you are making an investment in this product and they want you to be happy. They even offer a 60-day satisfaction guarantee and a 3-year replacement warranty, plus free shipping.