Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Natural Scratch And Kittens

The best time to begin training any animal, humans included, is during childhood. Good habits instilled early persist.

To kittens, Natural Scratch is like a small tree and they enjoy clawing their way to the top. Rewarding this behavior with treats and affection reinforces in the kitten's mind that this is one place it may go a little wild.

The training booklet that accompanies Natural Scratch has a special section on kittens, and it emphasizes the differences between teaching a kitten and an adult cat. Get a preview at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Ursa Major

My wife and I acquired--better said, he acquired us--our first cat together more than 25 years ago.

My brother and I were out star gazing in May in Florence County, Wisconsin, when I felt something brush up against my leg. I said to my brother as calmly as possible, "Don't react or anything but I think there's a skunk down by my feet." Just then the critter meowed.

I opened the car door, the dome light came on, and I saw a tiny gray tiger stripe kitten only a few months old who had already struck out on his own, probably from a farm in the area. I gave him a few pets and went back to star gazing under the inky black skies of northern Wisconsin, with the constellation, Ursa Major, The Big Dipper, directly overhead.

When we decided to leave to have dinner at a local bar-restaurant, to my amazement this tiny cat tried to climb into the car, even though the motor was now running and fairly loud. He clearly decided leaving with these big old humans was better than staying in the wild. Given that, I couldn't resist taking him along. All I could do was hope my lovely wife, who was almost 250 miles away, wouldn't mind. When I arrived back home in Wauwatosa (a Native American word meaning "Land of the Fireflies") outside of Milwaukee a few days later and told my wife the story she warmed to the little bugger immediately. We named him Ursa Major naturally.

Monday, April 11, 2011

New Natural Scratch Post

Different cats like different things so a new Natural Scratch post is now available.

It features a section of sisal matting.  I view it as a "starter" material for cats who like sisal.  After a while the cat will gouge into the white cedar below and what is left of the sisal can be removed.

Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/sisalcedarscratchingpost.html.

Like all Natural Scratch products, the Sisal-Cedar post comes with a training booklet that teaches people how to train their cat or cats to claw Natural Scratch and nothing else.   It also features a string toy and other interactive features.

Natural Scratch Sisal-Cedar Post

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Cat Litter Helper

Emptying cat litter is made much easier by the Cat Litter Change Helper, a new product at http://catlitterhelper.com/

Please have a look.

Like Natural Scratch cat-scratching posts, planks, and slabs, the Cat Litter Change Helper resulted from a personal need.  After many years of pouring used litter into paper bags and having the bags fall over, I decided there must be a better way. 

The Cat Litter Change Helper is the better way to change litter.  Have a look at http://www.catlitterhelper.com/

As an added benefit, this new product makes it possible to put soiled litter back in the bag it was in when you purchased it.