Gus and Bella Box Review

*Thanks to Gus and Bella who offered a one-off box in exchange for an honest review

I thought it was about time I'd introduce the newest member of my family properly, Yo-yo the cat (not my name choice by there we go), who joined us in Febuary, unintentionally just before lockdown. The last time I was a cat owner was in South Africa many years ago, when I temporarily fostered a cat for a few months and prior to that was when I was a child and we had a beloved cat for 17yrs, he was a true member of the family in every sense of the word so I was excited to see how Yo-you would fit in.

Well needless to say the boys adore her and take great care into looking after her wellbeing. We want to make sure we are providing her with the right nutrition and space to play and grow. Luckily we have a nice outdoor space which backs onto a river with lots of trees behind so she has been having lots of fun exploring. Finding food she likes has been a bit hit and miss, there are so many brands out there so giving different ones a go seems to work best while we find what she really loves.

Which is why the Gus and Bella box is great for cat owners - it's a subscription box that offers treats for both the cat and owner, making it a shared experience with around 8+ surprises inside including cat toys, natural high end cat treats, health products and gifts for cat owners as well as supporting cat charities. Every month offers new treats and toys to try out and I had the chance to review the Halloween inspired October box. 

First Impressions

Firsty it's great that they offer free postage as the box was quite heavy when it arrived as it's packed filled with goodies. It's also good to see the box is cardboard and recyclable and in general the whole box was low on plastic. 

As soon as I opened the box I saw the cute slippers with a cat design by Wild feet - great timing as we move into the colder months and they fit perfectly too, these slippers retail at around £12 so good value so far, along with a large Halloween Milk Chocolate from Hames Chocolate and a cat inspired postcard from Innabox (worth £1) - these of course are the cat owner.

Moving on to Yo-yo's treats and the first one we opened was the Treat Dispenser toy by Catit - I had been thinking about getting one of these as she loves chasing a ball and with this is releases small dried treats as the cat plays with it. These Catit balls retail around £4.99

The second toy, a handmade kicker toy by Etsy seller "Stanton's chums" was an immediate hit with Yo-you, she just loves it and it's great to see a subscription box like this supporting small independent sellers with this catnip seller made right here in the UK custom for Gus & Bella. Looking at their fantastic Etsy page these kicker toys are worth around £5

Moving onto the foodie cat treats, there is a really good selection and opportunity to try new high end natural brands that you may not come across. First was a bag of health treats by True Leaf Pets for anti-hairball support for cats and are grain free and include hemp, fig and pea fiber along with chicken and I was unsure if she was going to like them but she did! These Treats retail at £3.29

Next up is a Edgard Cooper and a grain-free cat food sachet and two dry food sample bags each 50g - Edgard Cooper focus on grain-free natural food packed with fresh meat along with their dry food packaging being bio-degradable. The sachet along costs around £1 in store with the sample bags I would say this is worth around £2.50 and is a great way to try a brand before you commit.

Lastly was the Webbox Cod flavoured tasty sicks and Yo-you LOVES Webbox sticks so I knew these would be a hit. Webbox is a premium cat brand with these sticks containing 75% meat and fish and are kitten friendly too. These retail at £1 in most supermarkets.

Is it worth it?

When it comes to subscription boxes I always feel they have to be worth it in terms of value and experience, while the box content's are the same value as the cost (which is always a big postive) the postage is free as well as including discounts to some of the food brands included and it offers up a lovely shared experience with you and your pet along with giving the opportunity to try new products and treats as well as the lovely surprise element. We loved the Gus and Bella box - I say we as in both Yo-yo and I - it contained lovely treats for both of us and nothing has gone to waste either - she has ate every treat in the box - another big positive. I would recommend giving this box a go if your looking for something a little different for you and your cat. 

There are three options when it comes to the subscription - you can opt for a one off box, a bi-monthly box or the most cost efficient is going for a regular monthly box which is £29.90 and includes free shipping.