Do You Have A Cat Box
Pet Subscription Services (Barkbox and Kitnipbox): Are They Worth It?
Last December, my husband and I decided to get our four-legged babies the best Christmas gifts ever: A year subscription for them so that every month they would receive a box of goodies – treats and toys. We purchased Barkbox for our dog, Angel, and Kitnipbox for our cat, Moxy. After the first three months, I think the answer to whether it was all worth it, is clear…
So both subscriptions are so similar that I kind of felt I should do their reviews together. First thing is first, these subscriptions are cute and thoughtful. Each has a theme that they run with each month from Chinese New Year to Sherlock Holmes and the treats and toys in each box reflect that theme. Both Angel and Moxy get incredibly excited when it comes time to open their boxes. They can smell the goodies and have come to learn what getting these boxes mean. Here is a look at the services individually and just how they stack up in our house.
Barkbox
A monthly box delivered to your door (around the 22nd, varies based on where you live) filled with dog treats and toys to make even the fussiest tails wag!Typically Barkbox has two to three treats per box and two to three toys. (Note: We got a sweet deal when we signed up, an extra toy per box for free, so you might find yourself down one toy from this description.) It varies each month but honestly evens out. The treats are unique and our dog, who can be finicky absolutely loves them. Every single treat has the same effect and we’re probably going to buy more of certain treats from Barkbox’s website (something you can do, in theory). But the thing is, for just one dog, we are running into the issue of not being able to give Angel all of the treats before the next box comes. And a lot of these treats go bad after a few months. We have too many treats and not enough happy puppies to give them to.
Tasty treats aside, each box also comes with some really cool toys, depending on how your dog feels about high-end play things. That’s what all of the toys feel like. Something Martha Stewart would come up with that look cool and pretty… but I don’t know how dogs in general would actually feel about them.
Angel isn’t big on toys, so I knew with her, she probably wouldn’t play with them. But I expected balls and stuffed toys and things that most dogs love. I mean most dogs like very similar things. A stuffed whatever to rip the stuffing out of, something to chew on, etc. But nearly every toy so far with the exception of one or two, I’m like. “What is this? Why would they think a dog would like this?” They seem to be pandering more to what doggie parents would like to think their dog would like than what their dog actually wants, when it comes to toys.What’s The Verdict, Doc? Give it to me straight.
It seriously pains me to say this, but at the end of the day, I don’t think Barkbox is worth it. My dog is my baby, much more than my cat (hey, I’m being honest here). I would do anything for her and probably spoil her. But here is the reality: The toys are kind of bleh. I don’t know how many dogs would actually like them, and I know plenty of dogs that love toys (so this is besides my dog that is weird and refuses to fetch, pull on a rope, etc.). But the treats… their treats are special. But then you run into the fact that unless you want your dog to suddenly have a weight problem, you just can’t go through them fast enough.
If you have more than one dog, then this box has potential because dog treats are so expensive, if you get a year subscription I can see it as a good investment. But if you get a shorter subscription where the box exceeds $20 (for a year each box is $19) or just have one dog there is no getting around the fact that Barkbox is not worth it.
*Note they allow you to customize your subscription by the size of your dog, but this doesn’t change the quantity/cost issue. We picked the smallest size but it’s still “too much” but getting any less would mean the service would be a rip off. It’s a catch 22.
Kitnipbox
A monthly box delivered to your door (arrives around the 15th every month like clockwork) filled with treats, toys and usually some high-quality nip. Your kitty will love everything in the box and fly high on the nip afterward. 
Kitnipbox has two options, a box for a single kitty and a box for a household with multiple kitties. We have one cat, so we picked the first option (though we have friends with two who do the multi-cat option).
Kitnipbox has two options, a box for a single kitty and a box for a household with multiple kitties. We have one cat, so we picked the first option (though we have friends with two who do the multi-cat option).
Kitnipbox has one to two treats per box, two to three toys and usually some sort of catnip. Moxy is not a hard-to-please cat. She eats anything (she has eaten things we will not speak of, let’s just say we don’t leave things around when it’s bedtime otherwise we’d probably have to go to the pet emergency room). She also loves toys, even dog toys (she plays with some of Angel’s Barkbox rejects) and regular household stuff (anyone with cats knows what I am talking about, toilet paper rolls, Kleenex boxes, etc.). So unlike Angel we had no doubt that Moxy would make the most of her subscription, and she has.
But here is the ironic thing, if Moxy was a hard-to-please diva, she would still be happy with her Kitnipbox subscription. The treats aren’t as unique or “special” as the treats Angel gets in her Barkbox, but they are the healthy, high-end favorites that every cat sings for. I know some finicky cats, and Kitnipbox must have such cats as box testers, because every single treat is a universal win. Another pro with the treats is while some may be wet and last a shorter period of time, these are the minority. There are a lot of dry and freeze-dried treats (freeze-dried duck and turkey for example), which means they last longer. Even though the treats are piling up, we don’t have to worry about them going bad like we do with Barkbox. This is a huge plus and justifies the cost because we find ourselves not buying Moxy treats at the pet store because she has a basket at home full of them!Another thing is the toys… these are toys that cats really get into. Wind-up mice to hang on a doorknob, feathers and string, different things filled with organic catnip… seriously each box is like hitting the kitty jackpot.
Moxy isn’t really into toys, or I should say she likes toys but they bore her after a few days and she’s ready for the next thing. But she is still playing with the toys she got in the very first box! She’s happy, which means I’m happy (because she isn’t harassing me or causing mayhem in my house).
What’s The Verdict, Doc? Give it to me straight.
Unlike Barkbox, I actually recommend Kitnipbox to anyone that has a cat. It will pay for itself when you use its treats instead of getting some every time you go to the pet store. The toys, the catnip… everything about this is a win. And it’s cheaper than Barkbox, while being more enjoyable and more practical… Who knew?
Also, our friends first told us about this service and they have two cats (well now they have three). They get the multi-cat box and rave about it. They say it is definitely worth it, so if you have more than one cat go for the box designed for more than one cat. You don’t want any kitty fights over who gets the catnip-stuffed mouse next, do you? 
Don’t get me wrong, I think in some ways both subscriptions are more for the owners than they are your four-legged babies. But I also think that one of them is totally worth it and the other… problematic.
Unless there is some huge turnaround, we won’t be renewing Barkbox. It’s a great thing and if you have multiple dogs I do think it could be worth it, but with just Angel, it’s impractical. But I have no doubt we’ll be keeping our Kitnipbox subscription when it comes time to renew. Moxy loves it and the treats last while the toys are all favorites and unlike anything we’ve gotten her in the past, they are not forgotten. They’re played with every day. And seriously, the treats and catnip in each box justify the cost, the toys are already icing on the catnip cake!
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