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Finding The Perfect Cat Tree Furniture For Your Cat Not As Easy As You Might Think
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.
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