Cat Views

“I am sending you a picture of my two cats in their new cherry Lotus cat tree. They just love it! Padfoot is the “robust” gray and white short-haired male and Cleopatra is the lovely cross eyed Siamese mix. They’re both about 1-year old.”

Owner Courtney, has situated Cleopatra & Padfoot’s (?? what a great name!) new cat tree in the perfect spot for premium birding – what a view!! Perched up high like Padfoot, you might even be able to call it a “birds’ eye” view!

Final Lesson: Happy conclusion to our Cat Scratch Clinic

Pixie says “Thank You!” She was right under my feet when I brought the box in the house. You know how cats are with boxes. It took me longer to get it out of the box than it took her to jump up and start “working” her claws. She was trained as a kitty to use sisal & cardboard scratch posts so she took to this really well. In fact it’s a jungle gym for her as she was later crawling underneath, rolling on her back and digging all four paws into the bottom side, pulling herself around from one side to the other.

Five Meow “Catistfaction” with this product, says Pixie perched on her new Prrrounge by Kittypod.

Lesson #5: Inaugurating the New Scratch Post

Dr. Schelling presents a terrific point: You may absolutely love the “look” of the new cat scratcher you just bought. It’s soft & cuddly, the right size & perfect hue to match your décor, but if your cat doesn’t like it….well it look nice ‘n new for a LONG time! It will become nothing more than a decorative item in your family room without being a 4-footed family member’s habitat! So what do you do if your cat snubs your newly-acquired cat scratcher? If you’ think like me, you’ll be down on your knees scratching it to show Ms. Kitty how to scratch, right? Oh my, you’ll need a video of that since she’ll likely just shake her head and walk away!  Or, how about trying the more-active approach, by grabbing her front paws and rubbing them on the sisal? Right! Like that’s going to work! Instead, you’ll only cause her to decide the new cat scratcher is a punishment tool, one to be avoided at all costs so that approach is definitely not a good idea. Instead, let your cat be their own boss… that’s their attitude anyway!

Tomorrow’s topic: Start ‘em young!

Sly’s modern cat condo arrived this weekend. First, let me extol the excellent packing, delivered in perfect condition even though it traveled all the way from Germany! I am a bit like Rachel Maddow is about infrastructure when it comes to realistic packing. The very second I got it out of the box, Sly was in it! He adores it so much we haven’t had a chance to mount it on the wall. Every time there’s a lull in the chore list I think, now I’ll get the Rondo installed, he’s asleep in it! It is extremely-well made and so beautiful that even if he hadn’t become so attached to it right “out of the box” I would have been happy enough with it to find other uses for it [a multi-purpose cat condo!!] But he does love it so it’s a huge success all round. Thanks! – Diane

Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose. — Garrison Keillor

Like the rest of the world, I decided Doofie needed to have a Lotus cat tree. Honestly, it wasn’t like she really needed it, but oh well such is the extravagance of love. I got it last week, assembled it and put it out onto our back patio replacing the old tired carpet & sisal tree she’s had since she was young. The old tree was very large, heavy, quite ugly and tattered which is why I hid it outside! I dragged the old nearby out of the way, laying it on its side which was probably my first mistake. Lying down near it, she lamented its new posture while the Lotus cat tree stood proudly in its place ready for use. I got a dolly assist to dismantle the old one and she found me working on it in the garage! Oh dread, caught! She laid-down on the parts like wishing it to stay! We’re now into a week with the new Lotus. I put a cookie treat on the first level, then the next, then the next, and finally on top. Altogether, she gets about 6 cookies out of it! I decided today, she’s figured out if she hold outs, she can finagle the whole package of cookies! She probably will… she’s so smart!

We received a great email today from one of our customers who just got their new Couchette by Kittypod. “Do you have any advice on how to clean it when the kitty barfs up a hairball on it?” It makes me laugh every time I read it, but Shannon’s question is a good one since she has a significant investment in “cardboard” cat furniture. We emailed the designer, Elizabeth Page Smith to ask her advice, suggesting perhaps vegetable oil could be used as a natural coating. Elizabeth promptly provided a very complete explanation which included wonderful insights about her design.

“Hi Nancy, Ha ha…yes, an issue I have personally addressed.  The best thing to do is to with a paper towel pick up the larger mess if there is any, in case of food regurgitation, and then allow it to dry. Once the spot is dry take a broom or brush and sweep the remainder of the mess away.  If there are still particles just use a vacuum cleaner with brush attachment.  This will clean the cardboard well.  No need to worry about sealing, the cardboard is sturdy and when dry will dry similar color to its original state.  This is all part of the use. Definitely no vegetable oil to be put on the material that will soggy the paper and give a really horrible smell.  It is best in natural state.  I say this also because the cats tend to also want to bite/chew on the cardboard so we don’t want to flavor the paper with something yuck.

In general, the couchette will receive ‘personalization’ by her cat.  This is the purpose of the couchette and is to be expected that there will be some wear and tear.  Every cat has their own way of interacting, some more aggressive than others, so the wear and tear will vary from cat to cat.

If you have something more to ask please do.

Best of luck and glad Shannon’s cat is finding pleasure and use of the couchette. +eps”

Inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Architectura is a pet house designed for cats – the ultimate cat condo designed by Pre-Fab Pets! Slatted walls on two sides provide excellent ventilation and a fun place for pets to hide but still see what’s going on around them. Or, perch top for premium high-rise snoozing!

Up to this point, we’ve taken the position to boycott Made In China cat furniture. Not that I’m a particularly political person, but it seems every time I go to the store I’m barraged with “made in China” products. Is it unpatriotic to sell products made outside of the U.S.? We’re have a wonderful line made in Germany by Cat Interiors; a uniquely modern-style design which so far, we haven’t found any company in the U.S. that even compares. As such, I don’t think we’re jeopardizing a U.S. niche by offering products made out-of-country. Even so, Made in China has created a dilemma. About 3 months ago, I found a new design of cat furniture made of chrome and padded surfaces – a nice design. In talking with them, I’m convinced that quality has been maintained which is important to us. Now, too we found a very unique simple cat tree, again Made in China. It seems we’re destined to go with it. Is that a problem for our consumer? 

Spring has finally here in Arizona! Better late than never! Yep, the little goldenrod desert flowers are in bloom, birds have migrated back from their winter retreat and the grass is starting turn green again. I turned on my fountain this morning – a real joy as it’s right outside my kitchen window. But those events aren’t why I’m saying its spring. Instead, it’s because Doofie brought home her first baby bunny; a Cottontail proabably about 2 weeks old. It was very cute, but young to release. So, I dragged out my “critter rescue box” along with the heating pad for overnight stays. My critter box is nothing fancy, not like our snazzy modern cat beds, but well suited for its task. This morning, I dropped off Hoppy at Mrs. Beebe’s house filled with critter stuff other than cat furniture. She’s our local wildlife rehabilitator. I’m one of her best customers. Mrs. Beebe is known statewide for her dedication and expertise in rescuing all kinds of critters. So yes, Spring has sprung!

Looking for clean, architectural-looking cat furniture? Square Cat Habitat is a select, innovative collection of clean lines to enhance almost any environment. Modest and simple statements best identify this unique grouping of Buddha, Bastet & Itch contemporary cat furniture. Even the names are distinctive! And colors galore to select from; 19 shades of contemporary designer colors complement any sophisticated living space. Just look at the product photos … you’ll see a ”happy” cat!