scratching

Feline Pheromone Products: They’re Not All Created Equal

Cats| 57 Comments

cat-pherome-feliway

This post contains affiliate links*

Products containing artificial pheromones can be an important tool for dealing with feline behavior problems, whether it’s territorial aggression, urinary marking, or simply a stressful trip to the vet. Cats naturally emit these pheromones. They are used to mark their territory as safe and secure by rubbing the side of their face against against furniture, or even against you.Continue Reading

Giveaway: Sticky Paws Scratching Solutions from Pioneer Pet

Giveaways| 25 Comments

Sticky-Paws

This giveaway is sponsored by Pioneer Pet

Scratching is a natural behavior for cats. Cats scratch to groom their claws, the scratching motion helps remove dead sheaths from their front claws (they usually chew them off their back claws). They scratch to mark their territory. Their front paws contain scent glands, and scratching leaves behind their unique signature on the object being scratched. They scratch for exercise; scratching stretches the muscles in the front legs and all along the back. And they scratch simply because it feels good.Continue Reading

CarPET Scratch Stopper Saves Your Carpets

Products| 7 Comments

carpet-scratch-stopper

I have never had a cat who liked closed doors, which is why at our house, the only time I close doors is when I have a service person at the house. During those times, I lock Allegra and Ruby into my guest bedroom for their own safety. And they don’t like it at all. Allegra in particular has a very low tolerance for being locked up, and starts to dig at the carpet under the door after just a few minutes. As a result, the carpet in the room’s doorway has become pretty frayed over the years. Allegra even managed to rip up part of the edge.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who experiences this problem. Continue Reading

Review: Double Sided Scratcher from The Meow Mommy

Products| 3 Comments

cat_scratcher

When it comes to scratchers, more is better. And while most cats will develop a preference for a certain type of scratcher, you never really know whether your cats will like a particular scratcher until you let them give it a try.

I had a feeling Allegra and Ruby were going to love The Double Sided Scratcher from The Meow Mommy, and I wasn’t wrong. I could barely get it out of its plastic shrink wrap before Allegra gave it a go, as you can see in the video below.Continue Reading

CarPET Scratch Stopper Review: Protection for Your Carpets

Products| 4 Comments

Carpet_Scratch_Stopper

Most cats don’t like closed doors. This is certainly true at our house. The only time I close a door is when we have a service person come, and I need to keep Allegra and Ruby safely out of the way. Unfortunately, Allegra in particular gets so stressed when she’s locked up, she starts to frantically claw at the carpet near the door to “dig” her way out of the closed room. As a result, the carpet near the doorway in the guest bedroom, where I tend to close the girls in when it’s necessary for their safety, is quite frayed, and ripped up at the edge.

Carpet_Scratch_Stopper

The CarPET Scratch Stopper™ is a heavy duty floor mat, similar to the ones you can get to put under a rolling chair in a carpeted office. The mat is cut to fit under a doorContinue Reading

How to Stop Your Cat from Scratching Your Furniture and Carpets

Feline Behavior| 49 Comments

Ruby with Scratch Tower

Scratching is a natural behavior for cats. Cats scratch to groom their claws, the scratching motion helps remove dead sheaths from their front claws (they usually chew them off their back claws).  They scratch to mark their territory. Their front paws contain scent glands, and scratching leaves behind their unique signature on the object being scratched. They scratch for exercise; scratching stretches the muscles in the front legs and all along the back. And they scratch simply because it feels good.

The problem comes in when this natural behavior collides with our living space. Continue Reading

Review: Majestic Pet cat tree from Your Cat’s Tree

Products| 10 Comments

Ruby on cat tree

Back in December, we were contacted by Your Cat’s Tree with an offer to review one of their cat trees. I picked the 44 inch Bungalow Sherpa Cat Tree shown below. Allegra and Ruby have been  nagging me ever since to put it together so they could test it.

cat tree

My two little product testers were eager to help with assembly when I finally took it out of the box a couple of weeks ago. Those of you who’ve read my reviews for a while know that the words “some assembly required” always instill trepidation, if not outright fear, in me. The description for this cat tree said “assembly instructions included, tools provided,” so I was hopeful that this wouldn’t be too much of a challenge Continue Reading

Allegra and Ruby: the more scratchers, the better

Products| 13 Comments

Ruby on X-Tetra Scratcher

I don’t know whether Allegra and Ruby hold the record for most scratchers owned by two cats, but we must be close. It’s getting pretty crowded in our kitty playroom! Our latest addition is the X-Tetra Scratch Lounge and the Karma Scratch Log from Karma Products.

The X-Tetra Scratch Lounge is a unique design. The girls seem to like it more as a kitty jungle gym than a scratcher. They love chasing each other around it and jumping up and down on it. Allegra demonstrates how to stalk:

Allegra with X-Tetra Scratcher

However, the Karma Scratch Log is getting a lot of use as a scratcher. This by-product of the X-Tetra Lounge is a nice, sturdy floor scratcher. Allegra shows off her famous scratching technique (with a little help from Ruby – well, sort of) in the video below:Continue Reading