Battle of the Boxes – MeowBox and KitNipBox Review
by Taylor Malowney
In our quest to pamper our pets, cat subscription boxes are popping up left and right. For a monthly fee, a box of purrfect goodies is delivered to your door.
As a pet blogger and self-proclaimed crazy cat lady, I know how much cats love their boxes. My recent rescue kitty, Bug, was the perfect test subject, so I reached out to the two main cat subscription boxes, MeowBox and KitNipBox.
Both companies kindly sent boxes of goodies for my fur baby Bug to review, and the results are in!
Ships to: United States, U.K. and Canada
Price: $32.95/one month, $27.95/three months, $22.95/six months
Now, on to the fun stuff! Packed with purrfection, my MeowBox came with a handy “Goodies Guide,” which lists all the items and their manufacturers. The company carefully researches its suppliers, and all edible goodies are made in the United States or Canada – awesome for my chew-crazy Bug.
Customer Experience
My MeowBox arrived quickly, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a personalized message on the inside. I’m a sucker for presentation; the box’s informational materials and packaging were nice, professional touches. The company bills themself as “a happy little company based out of Vancouver, BC, Canada;” a vibe I can definitely get behind.
Goodies
Six items were included in the February MeowBox – four toys and two treats. Everyone knows feathers are a feline’s best friend; Bug flipped for The Empurrium “Teaser Wand Cat Toy” and Jerry Kurlz “Road Runner,” as you can see. A blinking bouncy ball was a little much for the skittish Bug, and she was immune to the charms of a hemp and cork toy “marinated” in an herbal blend. No offense to the Sammy Saturn, she’s just one of those cynical cats unaffected by the thrills of catnip.
Coming off a bad bout of kitty flu, Bug’s been turning her whiskers up at the tastiest (and most expensive) of foods. Blue Buffalo‘s BLUE Kitty Yums are beef-flavored and pretty much the only thing she’ll eat now. The Feelgood Liver Snapz weren't a hit, but she’s a notoriously fickle feline.
KitNipBoxKitNipBox
Ships to: United States, U.K. and Canada
Price: $19/month for the “Happy Cat,” $29/month for the “Multi-Cat”
Based in New York, KitNipBox is a big supporter of local animal organizations and shelters. I received a Multi-Cat KitNipBox, which has six or more items; the “Happy Cat” is designed for single cat households and has four or more items.
Customer Experience
While storms in the Northeast U.S. delayed delivery, the KitNipBox customer service team was fast and friendly. My one complaint would be the bulkiness of the box, which seemed a little overlarge for its contents. I also would have liked more information on the items included, like links to suppliers’ sites.
Goodies
My KitNipBox came with seven items and a bonus, including six toys, a bag of treats, and a bowtie. The “Twinkle Mouse in Motion” was the biggest hit and definitely indulged Bug’s inner lioness. Both Bug and I were baffled by the “Whale Loofah” at first – a bath toy? paw exfoliator? – but it’s now her go-to toy when she’s feeling particularly destructive.The crinkle ball, billed as a bonus toy, was quickly shredded by Bug’s sharp canines and proclaimed a choking hazard – whoops.
Bug found the rest of the toys uninteresting and some confused me, too. A “dangly door bouncer” looked like a Chinese finger-trap, while the “roller friend” was a Frankenstein mash-up of cardboard and a disembodied duck head.
I adored Mauve Moose‘s itty-bitty catnip baguette, but Bug did not share my sentiments, being unaffected by catnip. We also disagreed on the stylishness of a festive bow tie from The Empurrium, which she refused to wear under any circumstances.
The Verdict
It’s hard to tell from only one box, but both MeowBox and KitNipBox had plenty to offer for playful kitties. The MeowBox toys seemed more cat-friendly and crowd-pleasing – I’ve never met a feline who didn’t freak over a feather. The catnip toys and most treats were a toss-up, as Bug’s a weirdo. However, it would be nice if there was an option for the one-third of cats who lack the catnip receptor. Overall, more customization would be the key to the purrfect box – preferred food flavors, toy types, etc.
MeowBox’s sliding subscription prices are also a bonus, and I definitely preferred its overall vibe and look. For a professional, feline-friendly experience, I’d pick the MeowBox. But if you have a multi-cat household, you can’t beat KitNipBox’s price.
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