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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
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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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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:
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
I love seeing so many creative cat scratchers on the market now. Gone are the days when the only option was a piece of cardboard in a box, or a carpeted pole. With all these different options, there is truly a scratcher for every cat.
Today, you’ll have an opportunity to win this fabulous scratch lounge for your kitties! The Infinity Cat Scratcher Lounge gives your feline charges an all-in-one opportunity to scratch, nap, and play. I like the multiple scratching surfaces at different angles, and of course, the curves provide a perfect spot for a nap, or to watch what’s going on in the house. And even better, the Infinity Cat Scratcher Lounge comes ready to use right out of the box, no assembly required (words that make my mechanically challenged self happy).
This beautiful tortie named Zoey sure seems to be enjoying her Infinity ScratcherContinue Reading
There was a lot of excitement at our house last week when I was contacted by a British production company making a special for National Geographic, provisionally called “The Wild Side of Cats.” The program looks at the behavior of domestic cats and examines how that compares to big cat behaviour in the wild.
The production company came across a video clip that I shot of Allegra testing the new Imperial Cat Scratch ‘n Shapes Sofa Scratcher Chaise. I always knew Allegra was a world-champion scratcher, but apparently, her technique in the video clip is so perfect that they might use it for the special they’re filming.
Allegra hasn’t let her potential fame go to her head. She still deigns to spend time with Ruby and me, and aside from occasional remarks such as “I should be fed first, because I’m going to be famous,” she’s taken things in stride.Continue Reading