Cat Furniture

Cat furniture: The most common Cat furniture include Cat Trees, Cat Condos, Kitty Condos, Cat Towers, Cat Climbers, Cat Scratchers and Cat Gyms. There are dozens more

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Cat Furniture Buyer's Guide



Cat furniture is a commodity that is known by many names. The most common include Cat Trees, Cat Condos, Kitty Condos, Cat Towers, Cat Climbers, Cat Scratchers and Cat Gyms. There are dozens more, but whatever term you use to describe cat furniture, the purpose is the same - to enable your cats to follow their instinctual desire to scratch without damaging your furniture, carpet, or other belongings, and also to give them a place of their own where they can exercise, play, and lounge.

There are many different types of cat furniture, made from such a variety of materials, that shopping for cat furniture can be confusing. Which materials are better? What design is the most stable? What size should I buy? Which style would my cat like? In this article, I'll try to help you answer these questions so you can make a more informed buying decision.

Why Do Cats Scratch?

In order to be completely informed when buying cat furniture, it's helpful to understand why it is that cats scratch in the first place. The primary reason for cats scratching furniture, carpets, woodwork, or other objects is to mark their territory for other cats (this is instinctual, so they will do this even if they are the only cat in the house). Additionally, the scratching helps remove the dead cells from the claw sheaths, and stretches their muscles and ligaments.

Feline behavior is consistent, whether it's a tiger in the wild, or a Maine Coon in a condominium. Scratching is the way they say to other felines in the area "Hey, I'm here, and this is my place". Scratching communicates this in two ways. The first is obvious - the scratches provide a very visual cue to other cats. Additionally, cats have scent glands in their paws, which leave pheromones that other cats can smell. For those of you that have experience with declawed cats (PLEASE don't declaw your cats!), that's the reason that they continue to scratch even after the claws have been removed.

Cat Furniture Coverings

In the past, most cat furniture was covered with carpet. This was a good choice, because it looks good, and it offers a material that cats obviously like to scratch. Some of the cat furniture manufactured today, especially hand-made models, still use carpet.

Most carpeting today contains fabric loops. Unfortunately, after thousands of scratches, cat claws can cut through these loops, resulting in unsightly and messy shredding. You've probably seen this yourself.

However, with today's technology, engineers have developed an acrylic material specifically for use in the cat furniture industry. This material, commonly referred to as fake or faux fur, has become increasingly popular. The main reason for this popularity is the fact that it does not contain loops, so it doesn't shred like carpet does, and therefore tends to last longer than carpet. The drawback is that since it doesn't offer the resistance that carpet does when they scratch it, cats don't like it for scratching as much as they like carpeting.

As a result, most cat furniture that offers faux fur also utilizes sisal rope as a covering. Generally, the vertical posts are wrapped with sisal rope, and the platforms and enclosures are covered with the acrylic fur.

Sisal rope is made from the Agave Sisalana plant, which is native to the Yucatan area of Mexico. Cats seem naturally drawn to this material, and unlike the acrylic fur, sisal rope offers the resistance that cats need to tune their claws and stretch their muscles.

Some cat furniture manufacturers that use carpet as a covering also offer sisal-wrapped posts, and in most (but not all) cases cats will scratch on the sisal instead of the carpet.

Structural Materials

Obviously the strength of the cat furniture is provided by the underlying structural materials. Vertical posts are usually wood 2 x 4's or heavy cardboard tubes, while horizontal surfaces are either plywood or pressboard. Manufacturers sometimes use cardboard for enclosure walls that do not bear any weight load.

It is a common misconception that wooden posts offer more structural integrity than cardboard tubes. In actuality, this is not necessarily true. Of course everybody knows that wood is stronger than cardboard when flat. However, when thick (at least 1/4") cardboard is made into a tube, and stood up vertically, it can hold an incredible amount of weight. The addition of a layer of sisal rope wrapped around it adds even more strength. One big advantage of cardboard posts over wooden ones is the weight. Shipping rates are based on weight, and shipping costs for a piece of cat furniture made with cardboard posts will be considerably less than a comparable model with wooden posts.

For platforms and weight-bearing walls in enclosures, manufacturers generally utilize either plywood or pressboard (also known as particle board). Pressboard is fiber pulp that is mixed with a chemical adhesive to create a smooth, uniform board. Plywood is manufactured by gluing thin layers of wood together, resulting in a board that is actually stronger than solid wood of the same thickness.

Generally, plywood is preferred to pressboard for cat furniture platforms for a number of reasons. During shipping, pressboard is much more likely to be damaged than plywood, especially if the carton is dropped on it's corner. Additionally, pressboard tends to crumble around the edges of screw or bolt holes if the hardware is tightened too much. Pressboard platforms are also more likely to break if enough weight or vertical force is put on it, as happens if a child sits on it.

Floor-to-Ceiling or Freestanding?

Cat furniture models will be either freestanding or floor-to-ceiling (commonly referred to as cat trees). Freestanding cat furniture is usually wide and bottom-heavy, to prevent it from tipping over when cats are at the top, or are very active. Floor-to-ceiling models use tension against the ceiling to provide their stability, and so do not require as wide a footprint as freestanding models. A properly assembled and installed floor-to-ceiling model cannot tip over. Usually, the tension against the ceiling is accomplished either through use of a spring-tension rod or a screw-based mechanism. This doesn't mean that the cat tree is screwed into the ceiling. Rather, the topmost post has a threaded bolt, usually topped with a soft protective cap that screws up against the ceiling. Generally, the screw-type cat trees are more stable, especially if you have active cats, and are also less likely to damage the ceiling surface.

So What Should You Buy?

The decision as to what type of furniture to buy for Tabby and Fritz should be determined by a combination of factors:

- Do you want a freestanding or floor-to-ceiling model? This is really more of a personal choice issue than anything else. If you have very active or very large cats, a floor to ceiling model will probably offer more stability. If you have a multi-cat household, special attention should be paid to the weight rating of the furniture. It's also usually possible to secure a free-standing model to a wall with common brackets and hardware available at any home center, in cases where rambunctious kitties cause it to rock or tip.

- Which covering? Carpet offers the advantage of more color choices, and if you're very particular about your cat condo fitting in with your décor, this might be your best choice. Faux fur models are generally made in neutral colors like beige or taupe, although there are some exceptions. In either case, having a sisal scratching surface should be a goal if at all possible.

- Structural materials. If you have a choice, choose plywood over pressboard. As for the posts, both cardboard and wood offer good stability. As stated earlier, models with wooden posts are heavier and may cost more to ship.

I hope that this article has been helpful in explaining the different types of cat furniture available, and the strengths and weaknesses of each type. In the end, don't forget that the safety and happiness of the feline members of your family should be the most important factors in choosing cat furniture for them.


About the Author:

Nick Bulka, is the owner of South Hill Trading Company, an online pet supply store specializing in cat furniture. You can visit his store at http://www.petsupplyguy.com or http://www.cat-scratch.net

Source: www.isnare.com


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Cat Behavior Facts Few People Know

Epics, novels and movies have always portrayed cats as unpredictable and moody creatures. Many consider cats as mysterious creatures. However, the truth cannot be further from this. A cat is as normal and predictable as any other animals. The only condition is that we need to know what to expect from a cat in terms of normal behavior.

People consider cats as 'cute' little animals only to give them up at the slightest hint of aggression or litter issues. Most people do not do their homework well before keeping a cat. Cats are different than dogs and that's where people greatly misunderstand cats.

Being distant relatives to the much larger cats we see in the wild, (of course our kitty is much smaller), they are able to eat at frequent intervals. COnsuming anywhere from 10 grams to a quarter of a cup at a time.

The reason for this is that it is instinctual to keep their digestive system in optimal condition. In addition to eating frequently these instinctual creature just like their relatives can go a day to two without eating anything, and as long as they don't seem to be sick this is a very normal behavior.

Cats love to sleep! In fact, sleeping is the main activity on their agenda followed by hunting, chasing and eating. At time it may seem like all a cat does is sleep and eat.

Unlike a dog that sleeps with his ears cocked and gets up at the slightest noise, a cat can sleep through anything. So don't be surprised if your cat finds some warm and soft place and disappears for a while for his catnap.

Cats are a clean creature and like to keep things private. They like their litter boxes to be hidden in a private place. In fact after a cat uses the litter box they bury it in litter covering up and hiding their business. This behavior is a learned behavior that they pick up from their mothers at a very young age.

These are just a few cat behaviors cat owners should know. Now, that you know these behaviors it is easier to know when a cat is being normal and when a cat is acting odd.
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QUICK CAT FACTS

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ARE GINGER CATS ALWAYS MALE?
No. This is a common misconception. Ginger cats can be either male or female although ginger females are less common.

The genetics of ginger is explained in more detail in Tortoiseshell and Tri-Colour Cats (ginger is caused by the same gene as tortoiseshell), but this is a short version for those wanting a quick answer.

The ginger gene changes black pigment into a reddish pigment. The ginger gene is carried on the X chromosome. A normal male cat has XY genetic makeup so he only needs to inherit one ginger gene for him to be a ginger cat. A normal female is XX genetic makeup so she must inherit two ginger genes to be a ginger cat. If she inherits only one ginger gene, she will be tortoiseshell with some ginger areas and some black/brown areas.

The ginger gene is called a sex-linked gene because it is carried on a sex chromosome.

Also, if you look closely, ginger cats have tabby markings though these may be faint or only visible on the face, tail and lower legs. They are also visible in the ginger areas of tortie cats. This is because the gene that turns off tabby to give solid colour cats does not work on the ginger colour.

ARE GINGER FEMALES RARE?
No. They are less common than ginger males, but they are not rare. It is possible to selectively breed ginger female cats by mating ginger males and ginger females together. They will have ginger offspring.

ARE GINGER FEMALES STERILE?
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Focus On Cat Health

Cat Health

Ring Worms In Cats

If we're talking about cats, the M Canis fungi will be responsible for 95% of all cases of Ringworm. Usually, they will get this disease from objects that are contaminated, like clippers or bedding, or from other pets that are already sick. If you have another pet that already has this disease, other animals should be kept away from it, so they don't get it as well.

The Ringworm disease is much more likely to show up in cats or kittens that have less than a year since birth. A kitten that is allowed to go outside is more likely to get it, either by meeting a cat that has it or by entering in contact with something that is contaminated. This happens because when they're young the immune system isn't as strong, so the Ringworm disease is more likely to affect them.

The Ringworm symptoms are broken or rough hairs and losing their hair around their paws or head. If you see a patch of skin that looks scaly, inflamed and itchy, chances are that the cat has Ringworm disease. Near that area of skin you should also see some broken hairs. It's a sensitive area, so touching it can hurt the cat. Avoid doing that.

Once those symptoms are observed in your cat, get on the phone and get that vet appointment. The treatment for this disease is usually tables or ointments. What he will give her depends on how serious the disease is. Tables are usually given to cats together with their meals.
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PICA In Cats: EATING THE INEDIBLE

Pica means eating non-food items. The behaviour ranges from sucking, chewing and biting through to swallowing bites of items. Pica (from the Latin for "magpie"). It should not be confused with the suckling/nursing behaviour that some cats retain into adulthood. Commonly consumed target items include wool, string, elastic bands, electrical cords, tissues, tinsel and houseplants. Other objects have included cassette tape and the rubber "teat" section of a child's dummy (pacifier). Eating a little grass or herbs is normal cat behaviour; indoor cats may eat houseplants if there is no grass accessible.

Like many obsessive or abnormal behaviours, the cat persists in doing it because the it is comforting or rewarding. The reward might be a nice taste, a full stomach or simply getting attention from the owner. The challenge is to make the behaviour unrewarding and redirect the behaviour into something rewarding for the cat and acceptable to the owner. Sometimes it is a displacement activity where an abnormal activity is substituted for normal behaviour because the cat can't express the more normal behaviour i.e. the normal behaviour is being thwarted.

PICA, WOOL-SUCKING OR PREY-PLUCKING?
Wool-sucking (or fabric-sucking) is a misdirected form of nursing. It's similar to a child's thumb-sucking in providing comfort.. Though sometimes mistaken for wool-eating, the item (sweater, blanket etc) is only sucked, not chewed, bitten or swallowed. Other commonly suckled objects include the cat's own tail, other cats or pet dogs. Behavioural treatment may be needed to build up the cat's confidence so it no longer resorts to "comfort nursing".

In general, the younger a kitten is when it is weaned, the stronger the urge to nurse and the more persistent the comfort-nursing. Usually it decreases naturally as the kitten grows up, but it may persist or resurface in early-weaned or hand-reared cats, particularly at times of stress. More rarely it becomes a compulsive behaviour or progresses to pica.

Some owners provide an old sweater for the cat to suckle on while protecting other garments by storing them away from the cat or dabbing hot chilli sauce onto them.

Plucking the target resembles pica but is a misdirected prey-related activity. The cat holds down the (often woollen) blanket or garment with its paws and uses its teeth to pluck or tear at it. This is the same behaviour found when a cat plucks or tears fur, feather or flesh from larger prey items (e.g. pigeons). The clothing/blanket isn't swallowed anything the cats tears off is discarded. One of my cats, Sappho, exhibited this behaviour towards crochet blankets.

In the case of one Siamese cat, it took a sock to its eating area and plucked at it periodically during the meal (canned food). The owner attributed this to "teeth cleaning" but it was probably misdirected prey-plucking/tearing behaviour as it only occurred at mealtimes.

BREED PREDISPOSITIONS
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Focus On Cat Breeds

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Persian - the Facts Every Owner of This Cat Breed Should Know

The origins of the Persian cat are murky, at best. Some claim that the Persian is descended from the Sand cat, but this cannot be proven. It is also thought that somehow Angoras were crossbred with Chinese longhairs or Russian Longhairs, but again, this is uncertain. There is also the suggestion that longhairs came to China as a gift from the king of Persian but there is no proof of this. What is known is that Perisans were recognized as their own distinct breed by the 19th century and came to America at around the same time. This longhaired cat comes in a wide variety of colors that is very thick, making it prone to matting.

A Persians coat is so thick the hair looks as if it is standing on its end. Regular grooming is an absolute must to avoid this problem including regular brushing and bathing. Any matting that is not attended to may result in uncomfortable skin infections.

Described as a sweet cat, Persians are not particularly active. Though they do enjoy running and playing, they will spend a fair portion of the day sleeping.
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Guide to Owning a Ragdoll Cat: Colors & Patterns

In this article, I will discuss the different types of Ragdoll Cats. Although Ragdoll Cats are a unique breed in themselves, they can be further divided into groups based on the colors and patterns of their fur. The combination of color and pattern can then be used when describing a Ragdoll.

Colors
Ragdoll Cats are one of the following four colour types:
* Seal - Mostly cream/beige/fawn with dark brown points, nose and paw-pads
* Chocolate - Mostly ivory with milk chocolate colored points, nose and paw-pads
* Blue - Mostly bluish-white with blue-gray points, nose and paw-pads
* Lilac - Mostly white with pink-gray points, nose and paw pads
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History, Temperament of the Maine Coon.

History of the Maine Coon Cat
Maine Coons have been on this earth for many centuries, they were well documented at being in large numbers at American Cat Shows in the mid 1800’s alongside the other popular breed at the time the Persian cat.

There are several theories as to the origin of Maine Coons, the Darwin Theory of an animal’s origin being disregarded and obscured, from being an outcross between a Bobcat/Wildcat and a domestic, coming across as ship cats from Scandinavian countries as Forest type cats and mating with the domestic cats, to Marie Antoinette sending her royal cats on a ship to the safety of Maine, prior to her beheading. Nobody really knows and the cat’s aren’t saying.

Maine Coons are a natural breed of cat or at least the original ones were, and anyone who has ever met one and to everyone who has ever lived with one, the Maine Coon is a very special breed of cat. [1]

Appearance of The Maine Coon Cat
Maine Coons are the largest breed of domestic cat and have a rugged, working cat appearance. They have a lovely semi-longhaired coat of varying lengths and were well built to survive in the harsh North American winters. This coat is very water repellent, but quite soft to the touch. An amazing plumed tail of large proportions finishes off this wonderful coat. They come in a large variety of colours and in several tabby patterns as well as solid and particolours. Brown tabby is the original colouring of a Maine Coon but the rainbow of colours range through blues, reds and creams, silvers tortoiseshell and solid blacks through to solid white.
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Feline Vaccines
You should have a complete understanding of the benefits and risks of the procedures before deciding which vaccines your cat should receive. It is extremely important that you discuss vaccination with your veterinarian so they advise you about which vaccines are most appropriate. Your veterinarian should know about your cat's environment, medical history, current medical problems, lifestyle, and medications your cat may be getting. Your veterinarian should be happy to answer any questions you may have and will help you make the right choices about your cat's vaccines.

Learn About Cat Beds And What Cat Bed Is Best
Several people assume that since domestic and wild cats get enough water and food, cats may survive in cold climate because of their thick coats. Although, studies say that in harsh climate, shelter is preferred the most over any other needs. Without shelter, wild and domestic cats develop risk of possible dangers such as frozen paws and ears. Severe climate may harm their respiratory system too. Particularly, in the rains, fur of cats get wet and may cost them their lives.

How to Solve Litterbox Problems in Multi-cat Homes
When we have only one cat and she misses the litterbox, it can be hard to fix. When we have more than one cat in the house, it can be even harder.



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My friends at Meow Mix have done it again, they have produced a reality TV show staring 10 homeless cats. All ten cats were chosen from animal shelters from around the country.
The cats are spending their time in a storefront window in New York City. The players are brought to life with the use of voice over and the public votes one of the cats out of the house each week. Sound like something you've watched before?
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Feline Obesity
All cats have the potential to become overweight, but the problem appears to be more prevalent in mixed-breed cats. The highest incidence appears in neutered, middle-aged, six-to-eleven-year-old male cats.

Does you Cat Have Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (flutd)?
FLUTD, also known as feline urologic syndrome or FUS, is a common term that applies to an assortment of ailments affecting a cat's lower urinary tract such as cystitis, infection of the urinary tract, kidney stones and the formation of crystals in the urinary tract.

The Legendary Luminous Pearl:
The Legendary Luminous Pearl, also known as Luminous Jade", "Moonlight Pearl" in ancient times, can be traced in a number of historical documentary records.
Li Si once submitted a memorial to the first emperor of Qing stating his discovery of "Pearl of Moonlight". It is also recorded in "Shi Yi Ji" that at the time of Da Yu's flood control, there was a snake holding a luminous pearl in the mouth, through which the secluded Fu Yi was first presented. These wonderful legend and myth cast a mysterious air on Luminous Pearl

How Picky Can Your Cat Really Be?:
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On Declawing Cats: Declawing is a controversial procedure. Some people feel it is inhumane.
Some veterinarians won't do the surgery," says Dr. Greenfield. "I believe there are appropriate reasons and times for declawing to be performed. It is a valuable procedure in many circumstances. It can be a life-saving procedure when the options are to euthanize the cat or have it declawed

Cats Indoors!:
Keeping Cats Indoors is for the Cats... Each year, millions of cats are run over by cars, mauled by dogs, poisoned and lost. Hundreds of millions of birds and small mammals are killed annually by free-roaming cats

Does your Cat Have Lower Urinary Tract Disease?:
Has your cat ever suffered from a disorder of the lower urinary tract? Cats occasionally develop such problems, and the signs include frequent urination, straining to urinate, bloody urine, and at times inability to urinate

Holiday Training Your Cat:
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