Our Favorite Cat Products, Part 2

Mewla here.

Ginger invited me to write another article about some of the best cat products that we have learned about over the many years that cats have shared our home. Our current favorites are our cat treat puzzle toy, cat tree, cat scratching pad, and cat de-shedder.

Why Do Cats Need Treat Puzzle Toys?

Cats’ urges to hunt are primal, and so we love cat food puzzles, which stoke cats’ innate urges to work for their food. Puzzles help enrich your cat’s life. Enrichment is especially important for indoor kitties since they have fewer opportunities to search and catch food. Feeders also help slow down cats who eat too fast.

What’s the Best Cat Treat Puzzle?

We recently bought the ALL FOR PAWS Interactive Cat Treat Maze Toy, a dry cat food and treat puzzle feeder. Our cats loved it! The bottom panel board is large with lots of different hiding places for treats. Puzzle pieces are sturdy, with the possible exception of the dome half circle, which seems a bit more fragile.

We chose this puzzle because it’s easy to clean and because there are many different ways to assemble the pieces. You can move pieces around so that cats have new challenges to strategize. We also can adjust the difficulty level by adding more pieces to the board. We’ve arranged the board so that it’s a little easier for semi-blind Kwazi, then add more puzzle pieces to make finding food a little harder for fast-eating Uli and Ginger. We bought the ALL FOR PAWS Interactive Cat Treat Maze Toy for $26.99 at Amazon.

Another good option is the puzzle our kitty friend Paul uses at the Horst Konig YouTube cat channel: (about $25 from Amazon), which looks fun too.

Why Do Cats Need Cat Trees?

In the wild, cats are natural tree climbers, and some of their big cat relatives spend time lounging on tree branches. That’s partly why your house cat will seek out vertical locations to hang out on in your home. Cat trees are made with kitty needs in mind.

You’ll want to put the tree in a spot that your cat approves of. Most cats prefer that the tree be placed at a window, so they can keep an eye on what’s happening outside. [Cat Behavior Associates]

What’s the Best Cat Tree?

Cuddling Cats Kwazi and Uli and Ginger too have a new favorite cat tree. The Happy and Polly Company offered to send us one in exchange for our unbiased review. We chose to try out the “Building Block Tree,” (Currently $199 at Amazon or from HappyandPolly.com) because the tree is big enough to fit all three of our cats. The tree can also be built in any of three different tree configurations (hence the tree’s name). We chose this 57″ tall version.

Of the cat trees we’ve owned, we found Building Block Tree the easiest to put together. Assembly still took about three hours, but the directions were clear and, big plus, all tools needed to build the tree were included in the box. Take note, when putting together the highest platform, have a second person available to help hold the slats.

The tree’s materials are very sturdy and each platform is made with attractive, real hardwood. Also, we found the Happy and Polly tree to be cat-centric. The rounded shapes appeal to the cats and prevent them from getting hurt when they get the zoomies. Everyone loved the super soft cushions that came with the tree. As promised by the company, all three adult cats could fit on the tree and use it at once.

Overall, this strong, sturdy tree meets the needs of our cats and, at the same time, blends in nicely with other furniture. Happy and Polly have a variety of colors, fun designs, and tree shapes to choose from. We will buy this tree or another one like it in the future.

If you can’t afford a tree at this time, human furniture can be adapted to help meet your cats’ needs. For instance:

Keep tall bureaus pushed up against your window and leave room on top for kitty to perch. Cats feel safe in vertical spaces and will enjoy the view.
Leave room on a bookshelf for your cat to crawl through. Has kitty settled down on the shelf to nap? Slide a towel or kitty bed onto the shelf for a kitty hide-away.
Check out our Hong Kong-based friend Melocat for more vertical space ideas.

Why Do Cats Need Scratching Posts and Pads?

Cats don’t scratch because they want to destroy your furniture. Rather, scratching is an instinctual behavior. As cats’ claws grow, they must scratch to shed the outer layer, or “sheath.” Scratching is also a way for cats to mark their scent since cats’ paws contain scent glands (SDHumane.org).

Luckily, training kittens to not scratch furniture doesn’t take long. That said, scratching posts are a must for any cat household. In addition to sisal rope scratching posts (see Favorite Cat Products Part 1), we now also buy cardboard scratching pads for our cats. Cardboard scratching pads come in flat or slanted versions, as well as other shapes. Our cats love having an additional type of material to scratch.

What’s the Best Scratching Pad?

Many great options for scratching pads are available, so we’ve yet to find a favorite. However, we most recently bought the Kitty City XL Wide Corrugate Cat Scratchers, 3 Pieces, Door Clips, available at Amazon for around $15.

The 3 pack option was a good value, and we found that one (double-sided) pad lasts at least a month in our three-cat household. The cats seem to love the feel of the cardboard scratcher. Kwazi, Uli, and Ginger all use both the cardboard scratch pad AND our sisal scratching posts every day.

Why Do Cats Need Deshedding Brushes or Mitts?

When cats groom, they end up swallowing a lot of their fur. Cat hairballs are common and most are harmless. Still, swallowing too much fur is unhealthy for your cat. On rare occasions, matted fur can gather into a wad that becomes large and may obstruct a cat’s digestive tract, which can pose a serious health threat (Cornell Feline Health Center). Therefore, we take steps to de-shed our cats a few times a month.

What’s our Favorite Deshedding Tool?

We’ve tried many brushes. The favorite pet grooming tool we’ve bought so far is the KENNELS & KATS Deshedding Glove /Grooming Mitt ($7 on Amazon). The gloves have 260 tiny silicon tips on each palm. When we brush the cats with the mitt, the little tips grab any loose fur. The glove’s disadvantage is that it may be a little rough on the cat’s skin, which some cats don’t like.

How do I groom my cat with the Mitt?

When grooming your cat, pay attention to your cat’s response to determine how you use the mitt. For example, our Uli immediately took to the glove. Uli allowed us to use pressure when we stroked his back, which is very efficient. Luckily, of our three cats, Uli is the most prone to hairballs and thus needs brushing the most.

Kwazi and Ginger, on the other hand, were more sensitive. They initially shied away from the mitt. Therefore, each time we use it, we first let Kwazi and Ginger smell the mitt. After they are comfortable with the smell, we put on the mitt and rub their neck with it. Once the cats are used to the feel of the mitt and relax, we softly stroke their backs, slowly increasing the pressure enough to remove the loose fur from their sides, tails, etc.

Usually, the mitt gathers so much fur that we have to take a break halfway through to toss fur into the trash. Luckily, it’s easy to pull fur from the glove.

The company’s description mentions that the glove works for dogs, cats, rabbits, and horses, regardless of whether their fur is short, long, or curly.

Mary Gardner, DVM (2023) of Iloveoldpets.com suggests two other de-shedding options that we have not tried yet. She recommends the “Zoom Groom” de-shedder, and for older cats, a “Groomer Stone.”

Care to see more cat products? Go to Favorite Cat Products

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Have any questions? Leave them in the comments below.

REFERENCES:

Cat Behavior Associates. Downloaded October 2023 from https://catbehaviorassociates.com/why-your-cat-needs-a-cat-tree/
Cornell Feline Health Center. The Danger of Hairballs. Downloaded October 2023 from https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/danger-hairballs.
Mary Gardner, DVM (October, 2023). “Home Hacks for Senior Cats.” Presented at the Cat Writers Association Annual Conference.
San Diego Humane Society. Downloaded October 2023 from https://resources.sdhumane.org/Resource_Center/Behavior_and_Training/Cats_and_Kittens/Cat_Scratching