Finding The Perfect Cat Tree Furniture For Your Cat, Not As Easy As You Might Think
December 8th, 2007 at 01:13pm Under Cat Toys+ Furniture
By Terra S.
Many cats need a good amount of stimulation in order to keep
them from becoming board, and we all know what a board cat is
capable of! Cat trees provide that type of stimulation.
Most people wonder what to look for in a cat tree. As a cat
tree manufacturer and a cat breeder, I would like to point out
what is important to me.
Safety first:
All cat breeders know what mischief our cats are capable of. If
there’s danger in your house, your cats are going to find it.
Not only is the cat tree manufacturer responsible for making a
well built, safe cat tree but the cat owner is responsible for
using good judgement in the selection and use of it..
First, make sure the design of the cat tree does not compromise
safety. Only purchase stable, well built cat trees. Beware of
cat trees that are cheaply made and can collapse under the
weight of your cats. You also want to purchase a cat tree that
will not tip over when your cat , who has invisible wings it
seems, takes a flying leap and lands on top or on the side of
the tree. You have to take into account that smaller, lighter
cat trees will not be as stable when used by a big, heavy cat,
but even if you buy a small cat tree there are ways to test for
stability. You can test your cat tree before purchase by taking
it through the tip test. Tip the cat tree a bit and see if it
falls over or if it rights itself (be careful if it’s a large
tree, you don’t want a large tree falling on you and the store
might not appreciate you knocking over all of the large trees in
the place). Rock it a bit to see if it stays upright. It’s ok if
the tree sways some with the movement of the cat, that’s normal,
but it is not OK if the cat tree tips over easily.
If you purchase your tree from an internet website you won’t be
able to put it through the tip test, but you can always ask for
customer testimonials to see how other customers feel about the
stability of the products you intend to buy. Be sure that there
is a return policy in case the tree does not meet stability
requirements, however, also be sure to read and agree to the
store’s return policy before you make the purchase. Many stores
will not let you return a used product so be sure to take the
tip test before you let your cats use the tree.
Your cat tree should be sturdy enough to surface clean and
sanitize. There are a large number of cats trees on the market
that are made with cardboard tubing as the core of the
structure. I don’t recommend cat trees made with cardboard
because cardboard may not hold up well, especially if you
surface clean your cat tree regularly with anything moist. If
you have a cat tree with cardboard tubing as the main supportive
structure, be sure to inspect it regularly for any weakness.
Many cat trees use toxic chemicals, dyes, and glues in the
manufacturing process. It is not a good idea to use a cat tree
with any of these items, particularly for cats that tend to bite
at the carpeting and materials used on cat trees.
Be sure to buy a tree suitable for it’s purpose. Don’t buy a
carpeted cat tree for outside unless it will be in an area
protected from rain and moisture. If you keep a carpet and wood
cat tree outside, even under a covered patio, moisture may still
cause mold to develop on or inside of your cat tree.
For outside cat furniture, make sure that the cat house is
suitable for cats. Most outdoor houses on the market are
designed for dogs and not for cats, so do your homework when
looking for those type of items.
Accessability:
Make sure the cat tree you intend to purchase is accessible to
your cats. There are all kinds of situations that call for a
really accessible cat tree. Your cats may be old, overweight,
declawed, or have health issues. If you have large cats, will
your cat tree be large enough to accommodate them? Will they fit
into the cubby holes or house(if the cat tree has holes or
houses)?
The cats also need to be able to get up and down the tree
easily or they probably wont use it.
A good idea is to get a cat tree that you can purchase
additional parts in case your tree needs to be more accessible.
If the cat tree looks like a cat tree, can your purchase extra
branch steps? If it looks like a regular, multi level structure,
can your purchase more steps? It’s also a good idea to purchase
some sort of ladder for cats who are declawed (I am not a
supporter of declawing but should you end up with a declawed cat
you need to be able to accommodate it too). Your cat trees are
no good unless your cats like them and will use them, so be sure
your cat tree is designed with your cat in mind. We’ve had take
a second look and to improve the accessability of our cat trees
over the years.
Durability:
Durability is not only an issue of getting your moneys worth
but also of safety. Most mass manufactured cat trees on the
market today are made with the cheapest materials possible. As
stated previously, many use cardboard tubing as the main support
structure. Cardboard is not very durable, especially if you
clean your cat tree. All plywood has some amount of chemicals in
it, however, press board and chipboard has a large amount of
undesirable chemicals in it and is not as durable as plywood or
solid wood.
Fabric is not as durable as carpeting, which is thicker and can
stand up to cats scratching better. Of course, no carpeting is
going to last forever, but you will get more bang for your buck
if your cat tree is carpet covered rather then fabric covered.
Appeal:
Appeal is more important then most people think. Not only
should the tree appeal to your cats but it should appeal to you
and your visitors. The cat tree should be designed in a way that
is attractive to your cats. If a cat tree is designed with cats
in mind, usually cats will take to it instantly. Many cats are
territorial, so if you have a large number of cats or
territorial, cats it is recommended that you buy a large cat
tree with multiple, separate spaces for each cat to claim as
it’s own.
There are certain materials that most cats are attracted to.
Cats like warmth and softness when sleeping and they like things
they can really dig their claws into when playing. Having a cat
tree that provides spaces where you can put soft, warm cat beds
is always a plus, as is having a cat tree that can withstand
rough play.
Next we want a cat tree that will appeal to our design and
style. It does no good to spend $2000.00 on a new leather sofa
and thousands on decor if you’re going to have a big, ugly,
rickety cat tree sitting in the middle of your livingroom! The
idea is not to detract from your decor, but to add to it.
There’s no reason you should compromise your style because you
have cats to please (although your cats would tell you
different). If that is the case, you might as well pick up the
70’s checkerboard sofa sitting on your street corner and throw
that into the living room for your cats to use as a scratching
post. Of course, different people have different styles, likes
and dislikes, so my idea of attractive might not be yours, but
im sure you get the drift.
Finally, we come to PRICE::
It’s not true that 100% of the time if you spend less you’ll
get less and if you spend more you get more, but generally
speaking, you get what you pay for.
I’ll let you in on a not so secret, secret. I’m a penny
pincher. I drive my family crazy. Let me tell you a story about
my uh - hmmm…”penny pinching abilities”. When I was in school
my father would take us to a restaurant every morning to eat
breakfast before school. I’d buy the heaviest meal, and eat well
every morning because I knew he’d give me $2.00 for lunch
everyday. I never used the $2.00 to buy lunch. Instead, I would
starve myself all day to be able to save the $2.00.
I would go home famished but never broke. I saved so much money
that way that when my other family members needed to borrow
money they knew I always had some to lend them. Sure, I lent
them the money, but I always charged interest! So what’s the
moral of my story? If you can save a buck or two, please do.
That being said, I never, ever, will compromise quality to save
money. I feel that if you’re compromising quality to save money,
then you really haven’t saved anything, in fact, you’ve lost
money because it will be just that much faster that you’ll have
to replace the item. I also, never buy anything im not 100%
happy with buying. I won’t settle for second best because to me,
second best is money not well spent. I don’t mind getting used
items, but I have to be sure that those are of good quality as
well. When it comes to cat trees, it’s not a good idea to get a
used cat tree unless you know the person who your getting the
cat tree from and know that the cats who used the tree are
disease free. There are a terrible amount of diseases and
parasites that can hide in cat trees.
If you’re anything like me, and I suspect that you are since
I’ve done business with probably thousands of cat breeders and
pet owners, you spend inordinate amounts on your cats but
nothing on yourself. I’ll wear the same pair of tennis shoes
until they fall apart (husband has to sneak into the closet and
get them and throw them away because he knows I will wear them
till I’m waking on insole liners held together with shoelaces),
but when it comes to my cats, I have to have the latest,
greatest and cutest. So, if you’re like me, I feel bad for you,
but at least now you know how to find a perfect cat tree for
your beloved furbabies.
About the Author: SittingPrettyKitty Cat Furniture and Cat
Trees www.sittingprettykitty.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: www.isnare.com/?aid=146393&ca=Pets
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