Credit: (Left) lisa cee (Lisa Campeau) on flickr / Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic | Right image: Amazon
If you've ever been owned by a cat or two, you know they love to be perched up high where they can supervise everything and everybody.
One of the main things I liked about my house was that the window sills were wide enough for my feline owners. And over the years I've purchased a few carpeted pet condos. Soon enough, though, they became shaggy, torn up, and laden with fur (especially in the corners). It became an unpleasant chore to vacuum them out or keep them clean, in general. We ended up donating them for recycling. Recently, a friend of mine moved to a condominium with hardwood floors. Her husband suffers from allergies and their new living space has lessened his symptoms considerably. When they moved, they donated their old carpeted pet condo/climbers too. No longer do they have wide window sills either (but they have a gorgeous view of Lake Ontario). And, their two kitties are slowly adjusting - but they keep looking for those pet condos or some wide window sills.My man-servant once asked our vet, "Why don't they just laze around?" According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and other sources, cats climb for instinctive and practical reasons:[1][2][3][4][5]
1) To survey their territory[4] and watch for prey or predators[3]
2) As a stress release[3] or escape (for safety[5] or to get away from other pets, noise, people)
3) To find a warm or sunny spot[4] (cats prefer to be warmer than us and warm air rises; floors tend to be cooler)[5]
4) As a reward (especially if tasty crumbs are left behind[1][4] on tables or counter tops)
5) For fun,[2] physical development, sense of well-being and security[2]
6) nap and rest times[5] (cats tend to sleep in the day and be more awake at night)
It's important to note that cats are built for climbing[1] - their legs, back, tail, and claws in particular. Climbing improves their balance and agility.[2] It also keeps him or her fit.
Purportedly, the Ragdoll breed, though, seems to dislike heights[1][4] and is therefore less inclined to climb.
Credit: DLSimaging on flickr / Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
As tempting as that might sound, sometimes we need to consider some humans in our lives (or man-servant, in my case). Plus I think I found the solution to this growing problem.
The first New York City Pet Show sponsored by APPA (American Pet Products Association) was held only a few years ago, in 2010. Apparently, New York is one of the most pet-friendly cities in the U.S.[6]
The pet show catered mainly to city people who owned pets (which certainly had my Toronto feline-loving friends and I interested). I can't find any definitive data, but I'm fairly certain Torontonians love their cats as much as New Yorkers.
And, we too, live in shoebox sized condos. The thing is, many of my friends are downsizing when they move. (And those traditional pet condo/climbers just take up too much space).
Credit: All 4 photos found on Amazon
The first thing to catch my eye was the Lotus Cat Tower (shown above). Josh Feinkind, founder of the The Refined Feline, confirmed that the inspiration for the Lotus Cat Tower grew from the conclusion that many cat tree designs are "unnecessarily awkward and unattractive."[7]
And Feinkind didn't have an easy go-at-it in business either. He lost $20,000 to a vendor who went out of business and has since insisted on a letter of credit from any vendor he deals with (domestic or foreign).[8]
Since many people do not have $300 - $400 to spend on cat furniture, Feinkind has formed partnerships with shelters (and cat-centric blogs).[9] What's great about this marketing strategy is that his company also raises funds to help our feline friends.
True, the Lotus Cat Tower is more expensive than most pet climbers. But when you factor in the lifetime use of it (it's made of solid finished wood) and all carpets, cushions and the scratch pad are replaceable - I don't feel that it's overpriced at all. Plus, the cushion covers can be removed and washed.
Functionally, they work in smaller spaces, even beside a bed. One of my cats tries to sleep on my head - which I'm not too keen about (unless it's the weekend).
The Refined Feline Lotus Cat Tower in Espresso
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