As you already know (if you don’t, you can read about it here and here), the whole crew went camping not too long ago.  And by the whole crew, I mean THE WHOLE CREW!  I have to be honest, I had never considered taking the kitties camping with us, but then we got the Kritter Kondo and everything changed.  

I received the Kondo a couple of weeks ago and set it up in my sitting room to see how everything worked.  Milo and Bella were instantly intrigued.  I left it up so they could get used to it but they didn’t hesitate to hop in and relax.  I found that Bella (my independent girl) suddenly began hanging out in there a lot, foregoing her usual post on her throne by the kitchen window.  Milo (my snuggle buddy at night) even abandoned me to sleep with Bella in the Kondo!  Even Hazel had a sniff around and it was plenty big enough for her 45 lb body. 

Once I knew all was well with our new toy, we packed up and headed off to Manatee Springs for our weekend camping trip.  It was very easy to transport and carry the Kondo, as it folds flat and comes in this nice carrying case with handles.  It fit very well (along with the rest of our gear) in the trunk of my little Honda.  The Kondo is super easy to set up and took only minutes to do so.  The instructions provided were adequate, although it is pretty self-explanatory.  The size was great for my two cats to spend the weekend in – they had a nice shady place for a bed under the canopy, while their litter box was located at the other end of the unit. 

This outdoor cat enclosure is perfect for a weekend getaway like ours.  Some of my favorite features are:

• Extremely easy to assemble.  The unit transports in one flat piece and only requires a few pins to lock the frame into position
• Shade canopy is a nice touch, allowing part of the cat run to be shaded for most (if not all) of the day
• A door on each end allows you to reach your kitty regardless of where he might be chilling out in his Kondo.  It also allows you to put water or food in or change litter easily.
• The Kondo is extremely lightweight, yet very stable and sturdy. 
• The high quality carrying case is included and has handles and a shoulder strap for easy transport, plus there are several nice pockets inside for food, treats, etc. 

There weren’t many negatives in my opinion, but I want to mention the following:

• There is a bit of sag in the netting and sometimes the net gets caught in the joints when the Kondo is folded/unfolded.  I did have to use a screwdriver to spread the joint a bit to get the netting out during my initial setup.  I definitely recommend setting this up at home before you travel with it, just to make sure you have everything you need for setup. 
• Along the same vein, I had some minor problems with fit during my setup.  The canopy frame fits very tightly and the posts were very difficult to line up just so.  There is no room for play – which is good for stability, but can be tricky for setup.  I think the painted coating added just enough thickness to the posts to make it pretty snug.   
• The netting used is a fairly open weave that doesn’t have much structure.  There is a bit of sagging along the top of the cat run and it’s a relatively loose draping of net that offers a bit of movement as I mentioned above.  The product instruction sheet clearly states that this material is not recommended for unsupervised use in an animal that chews.  I have to agree with this – although I will admit that I did leave my cats for brief periods unattended after I saw their reaction to the Kondo.  They were having so much fun watching everything that they had no desire to break out!  Having said this, I would have preferred a tighter, stronger weave that might be a bit more resistant to teeth and claws.

Overall, I have to say that this is an excellent product!  While there are a few minor, nitpicky things I might change about the design, the Kritter Kondo performs as expected and is a great product for the price.  I did a quick search for similar products and found that most outdoor cat enclosures were much more expensive than this one.  More importantly, I didn’t find any that were this mobile. 

If you’re like me, and had never even considered taking your cats on a trip before, another point to mention is this:  I have two pretty cool cats, but they are by no means “freak proof.”  Bella is the consummate hunter and takes every opportunity to run out the door and go on a walkabout.  Milo is a huge chicken and is afraid of everything unknown to him.  Point is, either of these guys could have made a case for escape and I wouldn’t have been surprised.  What did surprise me is that they were completely relaxed and comfortable in their Kondo the entire weekend.  There was no howling, scratching, or attempts to escape.  I believe that the design of this Kondo allowed Bella to experience her environment as much as she wanted, while offering Milo a feeling of more security with the shade canopy over him. 

I will definitely take Milo, Bella, and our Kritter Kondo road tripping again once it cools off down here!  In the meantime, it’s going into the backyard so they can enjoy their outdoor time here at home.   If you would like to win one of these Kondos, visit Lisa’s blog Kritters That Twitter and click on the Google Friends tab to follow her.  Even if you don’t camp or travel with your cats, I can think of a ton of reasons why you would still like this product.  And Bella and Milo agree.

 The first giveaway is from Best Pet Health, which is a brand new website that offers the full line of Nutri-Vet products.  They have a really cool Diagnostic Dog and Cat feature to help you choose the best product for your pet.  Amanda sent us some samples of their products and they get 4 paws up from my crew!

The second giveaway is for IN Supplements for dogs, donated by ALC INovators, Inc.  This family owned business has made a goal to provide a great supplement for family pets of any breed.

These nuggets work well as treats or crumbled over dog food.

If you would like to enter either (or both) of these contests, please visit Pets Blogroll for complete details.

This flysheet has survived more than a year of abuse at this time and is still holding up very well.

 Schneiders advertises this product line as “protecting against the smallest biting insects as well as large flies; shaping to the horse; allowing maximum air flow; staying cool in sun; providing 60% UV protection; and durable for turnout.”  I can tell you that these claims have proven accurate for me.  Tiny has gone through numerous fly protection products throughout the years and this one is by far the best.  I opted for the bellyband style to help protect her midline, where the majority of her sores were found.  I like Schneiders products because they have a unique Adjusta-Fit system that allows you to customize the shoulder fit for each horse.  Other nice features include fleece lined wither protection and a breathable nylon lining in the shoulder area to prevent rubbing.  I was worried that this lining might be too hot in the Florida sun, but Tiny doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.  In fact, it does a great job of polishing her coat and bringing out a deep shine!  The light color does a great job of reflecting the sun and doesn’t absorb much heat.

The fine mesh window screen fabric holds up very well to the abuses of turnout.  I would rate this durability as “excellent” although Schneiders claims the sheet is “very good” for turnout conditions.  I believe I’ve gone through about 3 of these sheets since I started using them 4 years ago.  I generally buy one per year because they do eventually get beat up; but remember, this is a horse that LIVES in these things.  The only time she gets them off is when she’s being ridden or groomed.  Year round.  Given that, I think my claim of excellent durability is solid, especially when this product is compared to others like it. 

There are only a couple of negative features that I would comment on.  The first is that the nylon lining in the shoulder area serves to increase UV protection for that area.  Therefore, I have noticed that she does get a bit bleached out on other parts of her body and she often has a “tan line” from the nylon lining.  It’s not terribly obvious, but if I were showing her in halter or showmanship it would be an issue.  Although most show horses aren’t turned out all day in the sun, either.  The second (and most troublesome) flaw is the difficulty I’ve had in ordering this product.  Every time I’ve tried to order it, it’s been on backorder for months.  Apparently EVERYONE loves this product as much as I do (it’s received 5 stars on Schneiders’ rating system) and they’ve had trouble keeping it – and the matching accessories – in stock.  I just checked the website and the product line seems to be well stocked at this time, so maybe they have increased production to meet demand. 

Tiny is so much happier now that we've found the Mosquito Mesh flysheet!

In summary, if you have a horse that is bothered by gnats, mosquitos,  and no-see-ums, consider using the Schneiders Mosquito Mesh fly protection line.  It has lived up to all of its claims and more and is well worth the $70 price tag.

For the record, Tiny (and I) gave these treats two thumbs up!  They were chewy, tasty, and healthy.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a photo of Tiny devouring them because they were gone in the blink of an eye.  But they were definitely well liked!  I hope that Emma succeeds in her venture and is able to get a laptop and expand her business.  I’m always appreciative (and amazed by) kids that are so talented and show so much initiative!  If you’d like to contact Emma about her treats or her business, please let me know and I can give you her email address.

What it SHOULD look like... Image courtesy of Schneiders Saddlery

As most of you know, Tiny has a severe allergy to gnat bites.  As a result, I’m always on the hunt for anything that will prevent a reaction and make her more comfortable.  So far, keeping her covered with a fly mask, neck cover, and fly sheet have done the trick and this summer was relatively itch-free for her.  In August, it was time to replace her neck cover and so I hit up Schneiders Saddlery for a good deal.  The neck cover I originally wanted was out of stock and so I chose another from the selection:  the Interlock Soft Mesh Neck Cover.  It seemed to fit the criteria:  light colored with UV protection to protect against the hot Florida sun, fine mesh to protect against those “no-see-ums” that torment Tiny, and 420 denier nylon mesh advertised as tough for turnout.  The price was right (about $15, plus shipping) so I gave it a shot. 

My reaction? Not impressed.  At all.  Upon arrival, I tried it on Tiny and she was swimming in it.  A size medium was advertised for her sheet size, but was extremely large on her and I had to rig it to close securely.  The mesh was fine, as promised, but the durability was horrible.  She had it for about a week before it was torn in several places – two weeks and it was destroyed.  Now I know that my horse is not the most dainty or gentle of creatures, but she had kept her previous neck cover for almost a year and the only reason it needed to be replaced was because the velcro stopped sticking.   A week?  Come on….

I can’t comment on Schneider’s customer service here.  The item did arrive promptly after I ordered it.  Although it was large when I got it, I did not try to return the product.  By the time it arrived, Tiny was already having a reaction to the bugs, had rubbed out half of her mane, and was developing itchy, raw sores on her neck.  I figured I could make it work for at least a few months until my first choice option was back in stock.  I was out of town for a week after she got the hood and by the time I got home, it was so filthy and trashed I didn’t even think it was worth the trouble to try to return it. 

What it DOES look like

Overall, I would not recommend the Interlock Soft Mesh products from Schneiders Saddlery (a matching mask and sheet are also available).  The material used is very soft and has no durability at all.  I’m not really sure what environment this product would be suitable for, as even rubbing on a wooden stall wall would tear it.  While the price can’t be beat, in this case the old adage fits:  you get what you pay for!

For those of you that don’t know Tiny, she has MAJOR issues with flies.  Poor thing has sensitivities to bug bites and has become a bit OCD about being bitten.  Until now, I have not found a fly spray that fit the bill by providing her protection and peace of mind.  That is, until my vet spritzed her with Toad Mist during an exam about a month ago.

This product is AMAZING.  In an instant, the flies were gone.  A few brave souls lingered on at first, but didn’t attempt a landing and soon headed off in search of another horse to bite.  Tiny immediately relaxed and did not move again during her exam. 

Just to make this product even more appealing, it is ALL NATURAL!!!  I am a big fan of using products that are non-toxic  and environmentally friendly.  This is the first natural fly spray that I have used that has been more effective than the typically found synthetic sprays.  And it smells great too.

I have purchased a bottle from my local tack store and it has continued to live up to the initial response.  Tiny can be turned out or ridden after being sprayed and does not seem perturbed by buzzing insects.  And it lasts for a long time too!  If you are looking for a fly spray that works, check this product out.  If it can take out the Florida summer bugs, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!  You can purchase it online or at select tack stores.  Check the website for  more details.