Pet Products on the Queen Mary

 

Above: Why I was a guest on the Queen Mary

Occasionally I get to escape with my handsome man (HM) to different cities or events. Not too long ago we were the guests of a wholesale pet product distributor who put us up at the Queen Mary.

Above: The Hotel at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.

Although I grew up in the area, I never spent much time visiting the ship. My brother had his prom on the Queen Mary and I served as his chauffeur but that was the last time I was anywhere near the ship.

Above: View of the Queen Mary on board.

The enormous ship is amazing but sadly much of the interior is not as fantastic as you would expect. It needs some TLC and elbow grease. The lights are dim enough that unless you look closely you miss most of the wear and tear and dirt.

Above: Another view of the ship.

All of our friends were excited that we were going to stay on board the haunted vessel–and one friend confessed that she used to play a stow away in some of the campy old shows they used to stage on the ship.

Above: Yellow Cab Co-Op lets you arrive in style.

The Queen Mary has an interesting history since the luxury liner transported the weathy but then was used to move troops during World War II.

Above & Below: Views of our state room on the Queen Mary

Our room was surprising  large. Much larger than my cruise ship experiences. The lighting was very poor and if you are claustrophobic the ventilation leaves something to be desired as well.

Above: Entry & table in our state room.

However we were looking forward to the adventure and after a long drive were excited to arrive. Our bellman was fabulous and we soon settled in.

Above: The state room bathroom was spacious.

As instructed we poked around to explore the ship. It would be really easy to get lost as it is so big.

Above: Hallway of Queen Mary.

Above: View from our port hole.

Above: LONG hallways of the ship.

Above: Art work on the Queen Mary

Above: Another breathtaking area of the Queen Mary.

Above: Cameo of Queen Mary

We were attending the open house of a large pet product supplier who had invited a number of vendors and manufacturers to display and promote their wares.

Above: Artwork in the Grand Ballroom

The highlight of the venue was the reception in the Grand Ballroom. The vast hall must have been something as it was stunning to look at still. The disappointment for me was that the lovely artwork and etching were not protected and some idiots had damaged parts of the artwork to leave their marks.

Above & Below: Bird art in the Grand Ballroom of the Queen Mary

On some of the paintings the wear was beginning to show since anyone could put their hands onto the images.

They artwork and construction of the ship were amazing.

Above: Grand Ballroom of the Queen Mary

Although we had a great time, I was there to keep an eye out for new products.

I have to say that I was most impressed by a cat litter that is really eco-friendly from the packaging to the product.

 Above: Close to Nature Cat Litter

Close to Nature Cat Litter is made from soybeans. It clumps but doesn’t destroy the earth like clay litters do.

Also, once used it can be used in the garden if you choose to do so. The new packaging is biodegradable–making it a great product and a true eco-friendly product.

The Organic Farm Store online manufacturers the product and I have someone testing the product now. If you want to give Close to Nature Cat Litter a try click here and then let me know your opinion.

Cat Litter Advances: Detect Urine PH Changes

I just read an interesting article on new advances in cat litter–one that helps identify changes in the urine PH. This might be appreciated by pet veterinary insurance companies such as the one in California that said their number one claim in 2005 and 2006 was for urinary tract infections in felines.

Apparently the unique product was hard to develop and I can see it being useful for cats of all ages but especially to those who have experienced urinary tract infections before.

The litter is coated with a nontoxic PH detector so that the litter turns colors when the PH changes in a cat’s urine and the litter acts similarly to the strips used to test the PH in human urine or swimming pools. This is good because who wants to stick a PH strip under their cat when he or she is using the litterbox?

So, if the litter changes to a color out of the norm, it’s an indication the cat should visit the veterinarian for a diagnosis. Cat owners should seek veterinary care immediately and avoid trying to diagnose the situation if this happens.

In the animal field we are serious students of “poopology” (the study of poop). This is because some of the first signs of illness are just slight abnormalities in toileting habits, and the appearance (or quantity) of excrement/urine.

Animals usually hide their illness so the PH detecting litter can help detect an early problem. Unfortunately many people do not detect problems until treatment becomes very expensive or is too advanced to treat and perhaps this can help.

The new litter is supposed to also have all the qualities cat owners look for–such as moisture absorption and odor control.

If you decide to try this litter, it is important to determine what is normal for your cat—assuming you have already had a wellness check recently. Then, when there is a change it can be clearly identified and you can get the feline to the veterinary clinic immediately.

The manufacturer’s recommendation is that the diagnostic litter be used alone. Although it may be fine to mix litters while transitioning from one to another, be aware that the diagnostic litter may react when combined with another product.

Also, using odor-control products is discouraged since they may also cause the litter to react and proper storage (away from other chemical products) is important to keep the integrity of the product from being contaminated.

Read more about one PH detecting cat litter here or another one here. If you want to find an outlet that sells First Alert Cat Litter click here.