Natural Scratch

Living In Harmony With Cat Claws

2009-07-02T07:56:00.002-05:00

The primary reason Natural Scratch posts exist is to preserve cat claws. People have trouble with claws because of their potential to destroy fine things in apartments and homes. Declawing, however, is a radical and unnecessary solution.

Training is the key and two things make is possible: 1. A training method that teaches you how to train your cat or cats to claw an approved post; and 2. a post that your cat or cats like.

Natural Scratch fills the bill in both cases. Please visit naturalscratch.com to learn more.

"Seconds" now available

2009-06-26T05:45:00.000-05:00

A new shipment of cedar posts arrived on Tuesday and, as usual, it includes a number of "seconds." In this case, 17.

Seconds are posts that have more blemishes and flaws than is usual for the white cedar we use.

These are just as effective with cats and kittens, but I sell them for seven dollars less than the standard Natural Scratch cedar. You can read all about them at http://www.naturalscratch.com/buysecond.html.

Goal is to use the resource better.

32"-Tall Cork Post Now Available

2009-06-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Please visit http://www.naturalscratch.com/CorkScratch.html to see and read about the new Natural Scratch 32" cork post.

It joins the 24" version that I have offered for about six months now.

These are attractive posts that definitely appeal to cats.

Have a look and place an order with confidence. All Natural Scratch posts are guaranteed.

Robin update

2009-06-13T05:56:00.002-05:00

The robin chicks grew rapidly.

Yesterday, I looked closely and noticed that the nest was empty. One of the fledglings, however, was perched on a branch nearby. It looked ready to launch itself into the world and must have because when I returned later it was gone.

It's amazing how quickly these new birds went from pale blue eggs to self-sufficient creatures.

The mother robin was nowhere to be seen.

Presumably she understands when it's time to stop feeding her family and take a break while awaiting her next pregnancy. A Web site informs me that robins lay two clutches each summer.

Now I'm wondering whether she'll return to the same nest for the second go around.

Robin's Coloration

2009-06-08T08:19:00.002-05:00

A pair of robins built their nest outside our garage in the crotch of a small fruit tree. It's only about five feet off the ground.

The powder blue eggs hatched about a week ago and now the fledglings are being fed nearly constantly and growing rapidly.

When the eggs were being incubated several weeks ago, the tree was in full flower with a heavy coat of white blossoms that were quite odiferous. They are all gone now, having turned a burnt orange that matches the robin's famous breast nearly perfectly. Moreover, the gray of the bird's feathers blends well with the tree's bark.

After making this camouflage connection, I've looked at other flowering trees and most have blossoms that turn a hue of orange--like the robin's breast--when they perish.

It's a cool adaptation.

New Natural Scratch Post Coming

2009-06-04T06:54:00.002-05:00

A 32-inch cork post will soon join the 24-inch cork and 32-inch cedar posts at naturalscratch.com.

Some have been produced and packaged and are ready to go.

Bringing a new product to market requires an amazing amount of work; you'd think it would be a snap but truly it isn't. It takes time and money.

Goal always is 100% satisfied customers--cat and human--and that means making sure my products are excellent and effective before they are introduced.

Like all Natural Scratch products, it will carry a guaranty.

Nature, Red In Tooth And Claw

2009-05-28T06:07:00.003-05:00

Two evenings ago, while walking the dog, a group of about eight robins flew furiously past me and seemed to be involved in some sort of fracas. They were squawking and screeching in a way I had never heard from these normally docile birds.

The robins landed on a lawn in front of me, and it was then that I noticed a hawk in the center of the group, just as it launched itself into the air with an orange-breasted bird dangling from its talons.

Like the earthworms and night crawlers that are often targeted by robins, the bird had become another creature's food.

The title of this entry is from a poem by Tennyson entitled *In Memoriam A.H.H.* It sums up well the daily struggle of so many Earthlings.

Clawed Cats Are Cool

2009-05-21T07:31:00.003-05:00

I never stop marveling at the many uses cats put their claws to, from climbing things to spearing morsels that are in hard-to-reach places. Claws give our furry friends an amazing amount of dexterity.

However, claws can be destructive if cats sharpen them on household items such as door frames or couch ends. If this is happening in your home, you need to train you cat (or cats) to claw an approved target and nothing else. *Enter Natural Scratch*.

Either the cedar or cork version provides a surface cats like and both posts come with interactive features and a training booklet with easy-to-follow instructions.

Check it out at www.naturalscratch.com.

Economy affecting scratching post sales

2009-05-11T05:44:00.003-05:00

It's amazing but the weakness of the economy is even felt in my narrow slice scratching post business. With almost two decades of experience selling Natural Scratch, I don't think I can remember a time when sales were slower.

I hope things will improve soon mainly for all of the people who have been laid off or otherwise have seen their incomes decrease. These are tough times.

However, if you have a few bucks and are looking for a scratching post that does the job and looks pretty good, too, please check out Natural Scratch at www.naturalscratch.com.

Natural Scratch Testimonials

2009-05-03T08:40:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to report that testimonials to the effectiveness of Natural Scratch, its interactive features, and the training booklet it comes with continue to arrive. Great.

This means a cat--or maybe several--still has its claws. That's gratifying. My family has had cats since I was a small child and they are excellent companions.

Never had to declaw one in lo these many years and don't think I ever could.

If you're having a problem with a cat scratching where it shouldn't, I hope you'll give Natural Scratch a try. It's guaranteed.

Scratching is good

2009-04-28T08:04:00.003-05:00

Cat claws are marvels of nature, and it's a shame to remove them just because a cat hasn't been provided an adequate post or hasn't been trained.

It might surprise some to know that cats take to training readily.

It does take more patience with some felines than with others, but all can be turned into good and exclusive Natural Scratch clawers if you follow the instructions in the training booklet.

It's fun to see one of our cats clawing away at a Natural Scratch cedar or cork post. They enjoy themselves immensely, and we appreciate the cool tools their claws truly are.

Neutering is Critical

2009-04-19T07:18:00.002-05:00

Cats and dogs are wonderful animals, but there simply are too many of them. They are not equipped to take care of themselves--usually--without the help of humans. Sadly, there are not enough willing humans to adopt them all. Hence, animal shelters.

Please have your cats and dogs neutered which will help reduce the number of creatures that need to reside in and be assisted by shelters.

Allow me to stress that the people who work at and operate agencies that take care of animals deserve as much support as each of us is able to give.

Please be generous. Thanks.

Natural Scratch Testimonials

2009-04-12T20:54:00.001-05:00

I always encourage people who are contemplating purchasing or have purchased a Natural Scratch scratching post or two to read the Testimonials page at naturalscratch.com.

This helps them understand the range of reactions cats have to Natural Scratch. Some felines take to it immediately, others require considerable owner involvement and training. All eventually come to realize that it is something in the home or apartment that they can lay their claws into, with full human approval, for all their scratching needs

Never but never do I sell or promote Natural Scratch as a set-and-forget solution. It isn’t and there is no such thing as far as I know. BUT, it does work without exception if customers follow the method presented in the training guide, consistently and with love and patience.

Cats Aren't Perfect

2009-04-04T05:47:00.002-05:00

Cats are a lot of fun and do many interesting things but they are not perfect. A reality they have in common with their human companions.

If you invite one or two into your home be prepared for some critter-wear--it's inevitable.

Sometimes our feline friends have gastrointestinal accidents and sometimes they claw things accidentally, when startled for example.

That's a small price for all the fun they bring into our lives.

People who have trouble with cats regularly clawing things they shouldn't simply have not provided a good scratching target and have not trained their cats properly.

Natural Scratch addresses both problems. Please have a look at www.naturalscratch.com

Promoting Natural Scratch

2009-03-24T05:34:00.002-05:00

It's sometimes said that the easiest part of getting writing published is the writing.

The same might be said of creating a scratching post system that works for most cats and people.

Not that writing or designing and manufacturing are easy. It's just that like catching the attention of editors, getting the scratching post in front of cats and people who need it is hard.

If you have any ideas of places where I can promote my Natural Scratch posts, I hope you will pass them on.

Summer Constellations

2009-03-20T06:18:00.003-05:00

I've had a small telescope since the early 1980s and have become much more connected to the changing starry sky.

I'm also an early riser so usually it's still dark when I go out to get the newspaper. This morning I could see the constellation Cygnus the Swan in the eastern sky and it portends the coming of summer and warm weather here in Wisconsin. Great.

If you want to learn more about the cosmos, the opportunities to do so have never been more inviting. The Web is filled to bursting with great astronomy sites. One of the best is Astronomy Picture of the Day at http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

But there are many more. Have a look and then start looking up when the Sun sets or before it rises. And don't forget that glowing orb that we depend on is itself a star and one that is only about 93 million miles away.

When you glance at it fleetingly so as not to hurt your eyes, note that its disc appears to be about the size of the Moon's disc even though it is about 372 times farther away. That should give you an appreciation for just how big it is.

Animal-Loving Volunteers

2009-03-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Let me pause for a moment to praise the wonderful people who give up their time or donate money to help the less fortunate, whether cat, dog, another critter, or a human.

This is stupendous and all able-bodied people should be grateful that they can be a donor rather than be in need of a donation.

I do a little here and there as I can and urge you to, too.

Cat jail

2009-03-13T08:31:00.000-05:00

Like humans, cats now and then will do something they shouldn't just to get attention. Our cat, Leo, is prone to this. Now and then to get attention, he'll scratch something he shouldn't. He's been persistent at this but we have reduced the likelihood it will occur by hustling him off to cat jail when he does it. This is fairly easy to do because he only behaves badly in this way when he knows he'll attract our attention.

Cat jail in our case is a cage that we bought for our dog when he was a pup and have almost never used. We keep it in the basement, and when Leo does something he shouldn't we pop him in for 20 minutes or so. He hates being locked up.

Our other two cats rarely do anything wrong. The male, Twinkles, began scratching our bedroom door occasionally in the middle of the night but a couple of trips to cat jail broke him of the habit. Our female, Gem, always behaves well and has never been in cat jail.

Point is if your cat misbehaves, place it in a type of cat jail--a bathroom works well, too--so it learns that such actions will result in some unpleasantness. Like children, cats need to know what they may and may not do.

Scratching Post Testimonials Tell The Story

2009-03-06T07:55:00.000-06:00

Cat Scratching Success

2009-02-20T14:53:00.000-06:00

Training a cat to claw where you want her or him to and nowhere else is quite a satisfying accomplishment. With many cats, it happens very quickly because, for whatever reason, they are able to understand that Natural Scratch is just for them and is the one place they can scratch with abandon and with the hearty approval of their human companions.

I don't think coming to this realization is a matter of intelligence. Two of our three current cats--Twinkles and Gemini--were immediate Natural Scratch clawers and haven't scratched anything else in years. The third, Leo, is probably smarter than the other two but he was harder to train.

It wasn't because he didn't understand what Natural Scratch was for or that he didn't like clawing it. What bugged him was being restricted to just one approved target. Leo wanted to scratch anywhere, anytime. To him, Natural Scratch was fine but so was the corner of the futon.

Nevertheless, through a combination of rewards for clawing Natural Scratch and negative conditioning--cat jail--for targeting anything else, we were able to train his bad scratching habits out of him. If you have a cat like Leo, Natural Scratch and its easy-to-use training method is just what the doctor ordered.

Scratching post training

2009-01-02T05:45:00.000-06:00

Dolphins jump out of the water and pass through hoops; then they dance across the surface on their tails. Then, usually, a trainer offers praise and a fish treat. This is how training generally works.

Intermittent reinforcement is stronger than constant but regardless of how often a reward is offered it has to be something the animal--in the case of scratching, cats--will perform for.

Try different store-bought treats with you cat or, if your gal or guy is fussy, try different table scraps. For example, small pieces of bread or vegetables. The range of foods customers have told me their cats love is astonishing. All cats crave some sort of treat, it's just a matter of isolating which...

This done, training a cat to do what you want it to and to avoid doing what you don't want it to becomes pretty easy.

Cat scratching training doesn't happen in a few minutes

2008-12-16T13:54:00.001-06:00

Cats are famous for their independent natures. They like to have their own way, every day. But this doesn't mean a person can't train them. Humans are way, way smarter than cats, and it's fairly easy to outfox a feline.

All it takes is a method that works, consistency, affection, treats to reward desired behavior, and time.

The training booklet that accompanies Natural Scratch explains what to do; then it's just a matter of taking the time to do it.

Scratching Post Guaranty

2008-11-29T06:09:00.001-06:00

Natural Scratch is guaranteed to work or you can ship it back for a refund. Very few are returned, and I believe the reason is Natural Scratch does the job for most people and cats.

It's not an automatic solution but when customers follow the easy-to-read, step-by-step instructions in the training guide, success is all but a certainty. I can say this with confidence for two reasons: 1. Years of experience; and 2. an understanding of animal behavior and, in particular, what attracts and motivates cats.

The white cedar used for the post is a great material for scratching and cats often understand this on their own and need little human involvement to begin clawing it. In addition, Natural Scratch is both rock solid and tall enough to satisfy the desire of many cats to stretch out.

Learn more at www.naturalscratch.com.

Cat scratching? A proved solution.

2008-11-06T13:53:00.001-06:00

Natural Scratch has worked well for many cats and humans and I hope you'll give it a try, too.

It was designed by a lifelong cat lover and has exactly the right features to help any human train her or his cat companion. Cats, like humans, aren't perfect and complicating matters is the fact that they only understand a few English words.

Training them though is relatively easy if you know what to do. This is why Natural Scratch comes with a training booklet that is concise and easy to follow. It's an instruction that anyone can read and use.

Please take a few minutes to read the testimonials at http://naturalscratch.com/ns3testimonials-5.html They show the range of reactions cats have to Natural Scratch. Many take to it quickly; some need more instruction. All can be trained.

Scratching post forest

2008-10-30T06:09:00.001-05:00

Our three cats have benefited from my side enterprise roygbivdesignsLLC and its primary product Natural Scratch.

Currently, there are no fewer than four posts set up in one area of the living room, so Twinkles, Gem, and Leo have many clawing options.

Two of the posts are experimental models and the other two are regular Natural Scratches but one is missing the laser-engraved medallion, which was clawed off and disappeared.

It's fun to walk by and see one or more of the feline clawing away. Which post each cat chooses is interesting, too.

It's great that they are clawing approved targets rather than the furniture.

You can train your cats to claw Natural Scratch, too.