Monday, October 26, 2009

Excellent Call From A Customer

About three weeks ago a customer called and said her cedar Natural Scratch post had been clawed so deeply she needed to replace it. Music to my ears because it means the post served its purpose well.

She decided to order two new cedar posts so she could accommodate her cats in different areas of her home.

After I completed taking her order, she mentioned that her sister had a cork Natural Scratch, and it too had been clawed deeply.

Calls like this always make my day.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Horizontal scratching plank

Customers sometimes ask me to produce a scratching device designed to be clawed horizontally rather than vertically. Some cats prefer scratching this way, and others are infirm and find it difficult to claw while standing.

Several years ago a woman approached me and wanted such a scratching target made out of the white cedar I typically use for vertical posts. Her cat had an illness but still loved to exercise her paws while on her stomach.

I made a custom white cedar plank for her, and she reported that her cat was using it regularly. When the cat died, the woman had the cedar plank creamated with her because she was so attached to it.

Currently, I am working on horizontal scratching pads made out of cork, which has proved to be a scratching material some cats love. Stay tuned.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Lifelong Reinforcement

Once a cat is trained to claw an approved scratching post, it is important to reward this good behavior throughout the cat's life.

When you see her or him clawing away, praise and pet your cat and heap on the praise using a gentle, loving voice.

Now and then, give the cat a treat as an additional incentive.

Good habits last a lifetime when they are reinforced.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Training connects humans to cats

Cats are smart creatures but their intelligence is completely different from ours. Who knows what they think?

When you train a cat, however, you'll communicate on a level that he or she understands--one that is fairly complex.

Though I've been around cats my entire life with some time off while I was at college, I didn't understand how to train them until the early 1980s. That's when my wife and I gave a home to Ursa Major and Star. When these two started tearing up the furniture and woodwork, I knew we needed to train them to claw a post of some kind.

This led directly to Natural Scratch. Much more of the story--and the vital role of training--is posted at http://www.naturalscratch.com/history.html

Please have a look.