The range of pet furniture like cat trees and cat condos has increased
It never ceases to amaze us how inventive some people can be. The range of cat furniture just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Some of it is useful and some of it is, ahem, perhaps a little unnecessary.
What’s the difference between a cat tree, a cat gym and a cat tower? Very little as far as we can see. If you look at any of these particular pieces of cat furniture in most online stores it’s particularly difficult to see any differences between them.
Probably just some people like fooling around with names to try and make their products sound a little different.
That’s not to say that a good cat tree (or a cat gym or cat tower for that matter) is unnecessary. In fact we recommend that any feline owner invest immediately in some fine cat furniture. It’s essential furniture to keep your favourite pet happy and well exercised.
We just laugh at the inventiveness of some people trying to sell cat furniture.
Now there is cat steps, or stairs. Now if ever you’ve seen your cat trying to climb something you will know how agile they can be. There’s very little that can prevent a cat getting somewhere he wants to. If you can’t climb up straight away he’ll probably climb the curtains and walk along the curtain rail to get there. Read the rest of this entry
What is the difference between cat tree and a cat scratching post?
What is the difference between cat tree and a cat scratching post?
Cat furniture can often go by a number of interchangeable names. For instance what is the difference between a cat condo, a cat tree, a cat gym and a cat scratching post?
Many people seem to think they all mean the same thing, but there are subtle differences.
A cat tree can also function as a scratching post for example. If your cat loves his tree chances are spend some time scratching on part of it. However a tree is a far more complex structure than a scratching post and allows your cat play, climb, sleep and high in all the nooks and crannies. Generally speaking a cat scratching post is only big enough for him to scratch, not to climb.
And although it’s not totally clear many people refer to a Condo as being the enclosed area on a cat tree where your cat could hide in or sleep.
It’s pretty confusing really.
However the bottom line is that cat owners should take some time to provide their cat with some good quality cat furniture. If you provide them with somewhere to climb and play that’s their own, and provide them with somewhere to scratch where they won’t be punished for damaging the furniture then you’re much likely to have a happy cat, undamaged furniture and a happier household. Read the rest of this entry
Building a cat tree can be a cheap way to get some good cat furniture
A good cat tree can be easy to build, and for those who find commercial cat trees a little expensive this can be a good way to save some money on your pet furniture.
There’s a few simple things to remember and if you’re handy with a hammer and nails it shouldn’t be too difficult to build your own cat tree.
The first thing to remember is that a good tree for a cat needs a very wide base. This is because as your cat climbs the tree it exerts sideways pressure on the tree. If the base is not wide enough the tree becomes unstable and can fall over.
Of course the taller the tree the wider the base will need to be. However remember that before you build your cat tree you need to know where it is going in the house and to ensure that there is adequate space to house it there.
Any decent cat tree needs a base at least 3 to 4 feet square, and preferably from solid timber so it is nice and heavy.
The easiest tree to make is one with a solid chunky centre pole. If you use timber at least 3 or 4 inches square it is easy to fix nice and securely to the base so it does not rock. Use metal angle brackets to secure it to the base.
You can then build horizontal arms, or branches, which come out from the centre pole and use these arms to secure some interesting items that make some fun things for cats to play on.
It’s quite possible to scrounge all sorts of interesting items such as plastic tubs. Screw these onto the branches either intact or cut in half to give the cats lots of nooks and crannies to play in or sleep in. Read the rest of this entry
