Happy Friday:

• 🌲 The story behind “Homer’s Odyssey”

• 🙀 What eco-friendly litter alternatives are out there?

• 🐱 Why cats love this weird litter

• 🐈 Breed spotlight: Turkish Angora

Did You Know?

Excessive digging or scratching before eliminating can sometimes be a sign that a cat dislikes the ________ of its litter.

(scroll to the bottom to find the answer!)

Gwen Cooper got a phone call one day about an abandoned kitten nobody wanted. He was three weeks old and completely blind. She took him in and named him Homer.

Twelve years passed before Gwen thought to write his story down. When she finally did, the memoir, "Homer's Odyssey," became a New York Times bestseller and was translated into more than two dozen languages. Readers connected with it in a way she never fully expected. Many worked in rescue themselves and saw their own tough placements reflected in Homer, the kind of cat that's easy to overlook but impossible to forget once given a chance. People still write to her today saying Homer got them through a hard year or convinced them to adopt the cat they'd been passing over at the shelter.

Homer has since passed, but his influence hasn't. These days Gwen shares her home with Clayton, a three legged cat obsessed with fetch, and Fanny, who leaves a toy rat on Gwen's desk chair every single morning without fail. Living with them both, she says, has only reinforced what she already believed after years with Homer: the biggest misconception about special needs cats is that life with one is somehow harder. In reality, most days look exactly like life with any other cat, just naps, snacks, and a firm belief that 5 a.m. is breakfast time.

Her advice to anyone considering a cat like Clayton or Homer comes down to one line. Adopt the cat, not the disability, and go in expecting to fall in love.

Every scoop of clay litter that goes in the trash stays there, since it doesn't break down and landfills are already piling up with it. Fortunately, clay isn't the only option anymore. A handful of sustainable alternatives now offer real performance, each with its own strengths:

• Wood pellets are highly absorbent and naturally odor controlling, breaking down into sawdust once wet

• Recycled paper is completely dust free, making it a great pick for cats and humans with sensitive lungs, and its larger pellets track far less through the house

• Coconut husk is lightweight, naturally antimicrobial, and carries a mild pleasant scent

• Grass seed is one of the newest options, ultra light with barely any dust and one of the smallest carbon footprints around

• Walnut shells stand out for odor control specifically

• Corn clumps in a way that feels the most familiar to cats used to clay

No single option works for every cat, so it can take some trial and error to land on the right one. Whichever you land on, it's a small swap that makes a real dent in the waste a litter box leaves behind.

Turning walnut shells into cat litter sounds a little weird. The fact that it works better than clay? That's the wonderful part.

Cat people aren't afraid of a little weird. Catios, cat strollers, a third cat "just because." So why settle for boring litter?

Plenty of litters are kind to the planet. Fewer are tough on odor. Naturally Fresh is both.

Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control uses walnut shells to organically neutralize odor at the source, delivering powerful odor control without silica dust, perfumes, or harsh chemicals.

Here's what makes it different:

• Walnut shells organically neutralize odor

• Fresh Shield Probiotic surrounds and reduces litter box bacteria

• Free of silica dust, perfumes, and harsh chemicals

• Soft on paws with low tracking

• Absorbs 3x better than clumping clay

• 100% recyclable packaging

If you're looking for a litter that's tough on odor and easier on the planet, Naturally Fresh makes switching surprisingly simple. Plus, earn 10X PetSmart Treats points on Naturally Fresh through August 2.

Check out weirdly wonderful walnut shell litter. Only by Naturally Fresh.

Thank you to Naturally Fresh for sponsoring Daily Purr.

The Turkish Angora is believed to be the oldest longhair cat breed in the world, with a written history stretching back to the 1600s. It arrived in Europe from the Middle East and became a favorite in France, where it's rumored Marie Antoinette kept a few of her own.

The breed almost didn't survive to see today. Interbreeding with Persians in England nearly wiped it out, and Turkey stepped in during the 1930s with preservation programs to save it. For a long time only white Turkish Angoras were considered authentic, which is why the first cats to reach the United States in 1954 were assumed to be an all white breed. Now they show up in nearly every color instead.

Personality wise, these cats earn comparisons to dogs more than any other breed. They greet people at the door, follow them room to room, and treat every household task as something that requires their supervision. Their coat is famously low maintenance too, silky and single layered, rarely matting even with just a couple of combings a month.

One quirk stands out above the rest. Turkish Angoras genuinely love water, and more than a few owners have found theirs waiting to join them in the shower.

This week's Cat's Corner has a little backyard wonder and one very confident write-in candidate:

• 🙀 Walnut shells make surprisingly good cat litter

• ✨ Kittens see fireflies for the first time and it's magic

• 🗳️ Scruffy cat wanders into a voting booth to make his case

Plenty of litters are kind to the planet. Fewer are tough on odor. Naturally Fresh Ultra Odor Control is both, using walnut shells to neutralize odor at the source and absorb 3X better than clumping clay, with no silica dust or perfumes.

Make the switch to weirdly wonderful walnut shell litter and earn 10X PetSmart Treats points on Naturally Fresh through August 2.

Daily Purr is brought to you with love from our cats. We hope they can brighten your day, just like they do ours. ❤️

Love,

Olive, Milo, and Yasmine.

🐱 Bite-Sized Treats

🧐 Did You Know: Excessive digging or scratching before eliminating can sometimes be a sign that a cat dislikes the texture of its litter. Cats that dig excessively are sometimes trying to find a more comfortable spot, which can be a subtle hint to try a softer or finer litter.

😸 COTD: Give your kitty the spotlight by submitting them for Cat of the Day. Reply to this email with your best photos of your cat, their name, and a short description for the chance to be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

💌 Reply for a surprise: If you are reading this reply with your cat’s funniest story for a surprise in your inbox!