Despite the Recession, Mompreneur Opts for Kitty Litter Over Career

AUSTIN, TX, March 05, 2011 (Press-News.org) Right in the middle of a job interview last year, former marketing executive Carol O'Brien decided to launch her own business. What she didn't know then was that her business would bring much-needed innovation to the $2 billion cat litter industry. Today, her company, Cleanicity, marks a milestone with the introduction of the StikittyTM, an innovative cat litter mat formerly known as the Kitty Litter Gripper Mat.

"Despite having extensive business experience and education, launching Cleanicity was like starting over," said Ms. O'Brien, the company's President. "I needed to unlearn some things and tap into skills that I forgot I had."

According to Ms. O'Brien, learning to be flexible was one of the first requirements. The company started in a few different directions before finding its niche in the nearly recession-proof, $47 billion pet industry. It appears to have landed in the right spot as the company's sales have doubled since last year.

"The more we researched the more obvious it became that cat owners were unhappy with traditional options for dealing with cat litter tracking throughout the house," explained Ms. O'Brien. "The Stikitty changed that—it's lightweight, doesn't hurt cats paws, and doesn't need to be shaken out. Best of all, it stops litter in its tracks."

With millions of pounds of cat litter sold in the US each year, Ms. O'Brien says the StikittyTM is a $2 billion opportunity for her company and its retail partners.

For more information on Cleanicity and the StikittyTM, please visit http://www.cleanicity.com.

About Cleanicity
Founded in late 2009, Austin, Texas-based Cleanicity is a privately held manufacturer and distributor of innovative consumer goods that work harder at keeping your home cleaner. Our premier product, the StikittyTM is the answer to cat owners' biggest headache—cat litter tracking. Cleanicity was chosen as one of the top 100 startup businesses by StartUpNation and our products have been featured in leading cat magazines, in blogs, and on television. For additional information, please visit http://www.cleanicity.com.