Contrary to popular belief, cats and nice furniture are a viable combination. The key is to provide your cat with the right scratching post. If you don’t give your kitty an outlet for this instinctual behavior, they will find the nearest substitute-your couch and armchairs. Of course, if I had known that, my first Jennifer Convertible sofa probably would not have ended up on the curb with wads of stuffing sticking out of the sides. Since then, I’ve been able to pull a few tricks out of my sleeve-namely the Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post and Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratchy Box.
I’ve had my cats for about four years. I originally bought the Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post when I first moved back to the New York area. It basically resembles a tree trunk covered in industrial carpet, mounted on a rectangular base. The whole contraption is about four feet high. Right from the start, my cats absolutely loved the Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post. Not only did they use it for clawing, they also managed to incorporate it into their daily “hunting” sessions. One of their favorite games was to knock the whole post over and hide their toys underneath. When they’d go into hunt mode, they would retreat to various corners of the room and pounce on their imaginary prey.
My first Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post lasted me about a year and a half. My cats literally ripped the post to shreds before I finally caved in and bought another. However, the second time around I went with Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratchy Box. Although my cats were using the Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post, they were simultaneously decimating my sofa, armchair and left corner of my rug. Part of this was my fault, as I did not use the correct behavioral reinforcements to keep my cats away from the furniture. (Yes, it is possible to train cats!) Also, I did not properly introduce my cats to the scratching post. Since I purchased the post “post kitty”, my cats had already left their mark on the furnishings. Basically, by not providing my cats immediately with a scratching release, I inadvertently turned my entire living room into a huge scratching post.
A veterinarian friend of mine also pointed out that since the Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post had a similar texture to my rug and some of my furniture, the cats couldn’t really tell which pieces of furniture were “paws off. She was the one who suggested that I try Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratchy Box. The best way to describe the scratching pad is that it consists of a series of interlocking cardboard strips tucked into a corrugated cardboard holder. Basically, you can lay it flat on the floor and your kitty can scratch away. When the front surface is worn away, you simply flip the product over to the other side. The scratchy box also comes with bags of catnip to sprinkle on top, to make the box an even more attractive scratching prospect.
When it comes to price, the Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post is definitely a cheaper short term investment. It costs about $40.00 and will last for at least a year. In contrast, Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratchy Box costs $15.00 and lasts about a month. However, in my opinion, Big Mama’s Scratchy Box is the better scratching outlet because the texture is so different from my furniture fabric. I’d much rather invest the extra hundred dollars a year, than invest a couple of thousand to buy new furniture.
I recently moved into a new apartment and purchased an entirely new living room set, complete with sofa, armchairs and ottoman. This time around, I acquainted my kitties with Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratchy Box before even one stick of furniture entered the house. Then for good measure, I covered the sofa and armchairs with sheets to further discourage any indiscriminate clawing. In the six months since my furniture was delivered, my cats haven’t shown any inclination to revert back to old habits.
Top Cat Sisal Scratching Post and Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratchy Box each have merits. Again, with the TopCat brand, there is the added dimension of having to worry about whether the post is too similar to the feel of your furniture’s fabric. I still have my scratching post, but tend to use it as more of a toy than an outlet for clawing. In any case, since I purchased my scratchy box, my cats haven’t exhibited much interest in clawing the scratching post, which leads me to believe that Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratchy Box is the better venting mechanism.
