About the magazine
How we choose
Every guide names a handful of products, each with a reason. Here you can read how that choice is made, what we earn from a link and why that does not change the choice.
By the Katdootje editorial team · Updated
When a product gets in
Five requirements before a product earns a place
- It passes the checklist. The product scores well on the points in the checklist for that type of product, and fails on none of them.
- It has a clear reason. Every pick gets a label, such as best for large cats or best without a subscription. If we cannot give that reason in one sentence, the product does not belong in the guide.
- It is on sale now. When we write a guide, we check that the product exists on Amazon and can be delivered to a UK address.
- It is a current model. We check whether a product is still made and whether a newer model has replaced it.
- The manufacturer is clear. Without reliable sizes, materials and instructions we cannot judge a product fairly.
A guide usually names three to five products. We would rather give three picks we can back up than ten we know little about.
How the order is set
The answer first, then a pick for each situation
At the top of every guide is In short: the picks in a row, each with the situation it suits best. Below that, each product gets its own explanation with pros and cons, so you can weigh up what matters for your cat.
The order follows what suits most cats and the situations readers look up most often. How much a shop pays us plays no part in it.
When a product drops out
A place in a guide is never for ever
- Discontinued or replaced. Then we find out whether the successor passes the same checklist.
- New complaints. If owners keep reporting the same problem, we look again and a product can lose its place.
- A better alternative. If a product comes along that does better in the same situation, it takes over the place.
How affiliate links work
What happens when you click a link
You click
A link to Amazon opens the shop in a new tab. The link carries our affiliate code, so the shop knows you came through Katdootje.
You buy
You pay the shop's normal price. If you buy something, Katdootje receives a small commission. Your order, delivery and guarantee are arranged with the shop itself.
Marked
Every affiliate link is marked as a sponsored link for search engines. Every article with affiliate links says so at the top, with a short explanation you can open.
No influence
The size of a commission never decides whether a product is in a guide or where it appears. A place in a guide cannot be bought either.
We work with Amazon Associates for the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States, with the bol affiliate programme for our Dutch articles, and with the affiliate network Awin. As an Amazon Associate, Katdootje earns from qualifying purchases.
Prices and availability
The price on Amazon is the one that counts
- Availability
- When we write a guide, we check every product on Amazon with a UK delivery address. After that we check every week whether it is still available, and replace it if it is not. Stock can change in between, so check the delivery time on Amazon before you order.
- No price on the card
- Amazon prices change often, and we cannot fetch them automatically. Our English product cards therefore show no price. You see the current price as soon as you click through.
- No stars of our own
- We give no score out of ten or five. Each pick has a label for the situation it suits, with pros and cons.
The date next to Updated refers to the text. It changes when we revise the content of a guide.
Our own shop
If we sell it ourselves, we say so
Katdootje is also a shop. Some of what we recommend in our Dutch guides we sell ourselves, such as beds, toys, brushes and water fountains. Our English guides mostly link to Amazon.
A product from our own shop has to pass the same checklist as any other product. If we recommend one, we say so, so you always know where you are buying. Products we cannot back up, we leave out, including those from our own shop.
Who makes the magazine and how to reach us is on the Editorial team page.
A question, a tip or spotted a mistake?
Email or call us. If it is about an article, include the link and we will check it straight away.