Natural Scratch

Natural Scratching Post

2010-03-08T07:11:00.001-06:00

Like most people, when I first had a clawed cat and it started scratching the couch, my natural inclination was to provide an alternative that also was upholstered--years ago *carpeted* was the standard. In the cases of the great cats of my youth, this never worked. At the time I didn't know why but now I do.

Primarily it was lack of training and secondarily it was ignorance about the fact that cats deposit scent when they claw something and this is highly attractive to them.

Now I also know that a wood scratching post like Natural Scratch is clearly a more appropriate target for cats because it's certain they don't find carpeting or couches in the wild.

Kittens are particularly fun to watch with Natural Scratch. They race up it like is was a small tree. Climbing leads to clawing and a lifelong affection for Natural Scratch.

Older cats too can be trained relatively easily to claw Natural Scratch exclusively. All it takes is a little time, consistency, love, and a training method that works--the one that accompanies Natural Scratch.

Natural Scratch Catnip and Full Petential Kitty Treats

2010-03-02T05:33:00.002-06:00

When I introduced Natural Scratch about 15 years ago, I included kitty treats and catnip with each post. Reason was these inducements are useful in training cats to claw Natural Scratch and nothing else.

I never had good sources for either, however, and ultimately decided to stop packing them with each post.

In recent months I've found a good, local source for catnip and also have discovered a kitty treat--Purr Fish from Full Petential--that all three of our guys love.

Both are available as add-ons to orders for Natural Scratch posts, slabs, and planks. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nscatnip.html.

End of an era

2010-02-22T06:47:00.004-06:00

Since about 1979, we have had cable television.

For decades we were Time-Warner subscribers and ultimately also purchased telephone service from the company. The phone portion was unreliable and motivated us to look for a different supplier.

About three months ago we switched to AT&T Uverse. The telephone service is excellent but, in general, cable television is poor and getting worse. CNN isn't what it used to be and Court TV hardly exists. The endless right- or left-wing squabbles that make up a lot of prime-time programming on FOX, CNBC, and other stations along with an endless litany of programs about crimes, aren't worth watching.

About two weeks ago, I bought a small, butterfly indoor antenna from Radio Shack (see photo) and was amazed by the quality of the signal we receive free through the air. The antenna cost about $5.00 and produces better high definition TV than what we received from the cable. Evidently, cable companies compress HD images, reducing clairity, before sending them down the line. My neighbor, Larry, said this butterfly is all that is necessary to receive signals in a Milwaukee suburb from broadcast antennas about ten miles away. He is right, and as a result, we canceled our cable last Friday.

For the little TV we watch, that diminutive butterfly is all we need. Another factor naturally is the reality that we are now getting most of our news online or through our iphones. There is also plenty of television to view online, both archived and new and we have our computers hooked up to our TVs so the picture is more than acceptable, too.

Training cats and other animals

2010-02-15T06:26:00.000-06:00

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.

Leo In The Center

2010-02-09T06:05:00.004-06:00

All cats are amazing and no two are alike. Our white cat, Leo, though has a number of particularly endearing characteristics. First, he is affectionate well beyond the norm.

Second, he is not shy. He enjoys visitors and is especially fond of service workers who stop by to repair things ranging from the plumbing to the furnace. He's always happy to hang around and watch whatever they're up to.

Third, Leo also likes to be the center of attention. Recently I took the attached photo to accompany a Craig's List posting to give away a TV that no longer worked and would be too expensive to repair. As I was lining up the shot, Leo jumped on top of the set.

I posted the picture with him in it and added the note, "cat not included" with the free TV.

Leo might have helped because within an hour, I received an e-mail from a man who visited yesterday and picked up the set.

Kitty Treats And Catnip

2010-02-05T06:21:00.002-06:00

Soon I will be adding kitty treats and catnip to naturalscratch.com. Both come in handy when training cats, so it makes sense to offer them to customers.

The catnip grows wild in Wisconsin, and I purchased it from a nice lady who harvests it during the warm months.

A business based in California named Full Petential offers the kitty treats I will sell at naturalscratch.com. One of them, Purr Fish, is greatly loved by our three cats. A good sign that they will appeal to most feline palates.

Amazing customers

2010-01-24T07:46:00.002-06:00

Every customer is wonderful naturally but some go beyond that to *amazing*.

A lady in California who has ordered a number of posts for herself and at least one relative has beautiful handwriting. I noticed this some years ago when she sent a video to me. The address label with my name, etc. was a work of art that I framed and still have on display.

After she ordered a cork post recently, she liked it to the point that she sent some tasty preserves and sweetbreads in return. Very kind of her. She also sent a note about the Cork Natural Scratch that I scanned and put on my Web site at http://www.naturalscratch.com/jttCA.html.

Have a look, JanYce is amazing.

Kindnesses

2010-01-11T15:25:00.008-06:00

Friday night my wife and I had finished loading the groceries in the trunk, were in the car and ready to back out, when another customer got our attention and said we had forgotten something in the cart. He was waving a package of frozen vegetables. Evidently it fell out of one the reusable bags we employ nowadays.

Clearly, there was nothing in this for the customer; in fact, he could have scored a free bag of frozen veggies if he hadn't said anything. It was just an act of kindness.

I often repeat another story involving kindness that I experienced about 50 years ago. I grew up in a small city and by the time I reached nine or so, my parents allowed me to walk downtown with friends on Saturdays. This was the commercial district's biggest shopping day, and the streets were mobbed with people, including lots of kids looking for fun. It was perfectly safe.

Generally none of us kids had more than a buck in his pocket for the afternoon's adventure, but in those days a buck went quite a ways. At the end of one such foray, a group of about five of us decided to stop at a small, grill-type restaurant—the kind of place that had the word "Eat" displayed prominently—and have cokes and maybe an order of fries that we would share. By that point, that was all we could afford *after* pooling our money.

So we went into this place, plunked down at the counter, checked the sandwich board for prices, counted our nickels and pennies—literally—conferred, and decided that indeed all we could afford was a round of cokes and one order of fries.

The grill cook came up to us and he was a classic for the time, probably around 1960, and I still can picture him to this day. He had dark hair and was wearing one of those white army-style paper hats (see photo from thecostumer.com) that such workers used to wear, a white t-shirt, and a white apron. We told him our order and pretty soon he came back with the cokes. We started sipping them and continued talking up a storm which is what we did in those days.

Pretty soon I noticed the cook walking toward us with his arms full of plates! My memory is that every one of my buddies had the same shocked expression on his face. Soon the cook set a hamburger and order of fries in front of each of us. We stammered together in surprise and horror (all of us thinking no doubt that seeing we didn't have the money to pay for this feast, we'd have to do the dishes!) that there must have been some sort of mistake because all we could afford was one order of fries and the cokes. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, boys, it's on me!" I distinctly remember each of us breaking out in a grin as wide as the sky at our good fortune.

'Course at that age we all ate as if we hadn't seen food before and were as effusive in our thanks as kids can be. We also left a little pile of pennies and nickels as a tip.

I wish there were some way I could locate that grill cook and tell him what a wonderful thing he did, how I still think about his kindness on a regular basis and have probably retold the story a hundred times.

I don't even know his name, but he brought a lasting ray of sunshine into my life that day and taught me an important lesson.

New Product From roygbivdesignsLLC

2010-01-06T10:24:00.002-06:00

We have three cats. This means three litter pans must be scooped regularly and changed once per week. Because litter bags typically have a rounded bottom, I've always used standard grocery bags to receive the used litter.

These have flat bottoms and stand on their own fairly well, but every now and then one will collapse when I'm dumping the litter in. Standard grocery bags are also single walled and sometimes tear given the weight of litter. Not good in either case because the litter gets on the garage floor and is unpleasant to say the least.

For some time I've been thinking about building a simple framework that would allow standard litter bags to be reused to collect litter. The bags litter comes in are double-walled and much less likely to break or tear than regular grocery bags.

Finally last autumn I completed a prototype and was pleased by how much easier it made the litter-changing task. It's also great to re-use the litter bags.

More time was spent making the product easy to assemble and store, and now I think have something that will work well for all cat people. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/catlitterchangehelper.html It's called the Cat Litter Change Helper.

Kittens And Natural Scratch

2010-01-05T06:28:00.003-06:00

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

The key ingredient

2009-12-28T04:51:00.003-06:00

Many factors play roles when training a cat but probably none is more important than plain, old patience. You have to look for small behavior changes and build on them.

It's counterproductive to expect expect rapid improvement, especially with a rambunctious, high-energy animal. A much better approach with an energetic cat is to engage in tiring games before beginning training.

Most cats respond enthusiastically to food rewards just as many are attracted by catnip. Both are great aids when you are trying to instill appropriate behavior.

Natural Scratch comes with a booklet that teaches a 12-step training method that has worked well for many people. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html

Winder Wonderland

2009-12-22T15:58:00.002-06:00

Although forecasters predicted Wisconsin would have a milder-than-usual winter, so far it hasn't come to pass.

Today is typical with several inches of snow on the ground already.

At the base of the bird feeder is one of the many squirrels that visit our home and take advantage of the careless eating habits of cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, and other feathered friends that land in the feeder.

Cats And Perfection

2009-12-21T15:57:00.002-06:00

Perfection is always a goal and often a matter of opinion. One person's idea of what the perfect cat would be like might not square with another's.

Even a cat that is perfect in the eyes of its owner will now and then do things that will try the patience of the most doting companion. Expulsions related to hair balls or eating something gastronomically unfriendly, for example, especially those that fall on something precious or difficult to clean

Other things will happen, too, that might be contary to anyone's view of what constitutes the perfect cat. It's always wise to remember that just as we are only human cats are only cats and accidents happen.

Cats of Many Colors

2009-12-17T15:39:00.002-06:00

Selling Natural Scratch over the years has put me in touch with an amazing number of cat people and an even more amazing variety of cats. The stories I've heard or read are pretty amazing. Cat's that will eat just about anything to those that hardly eat anything.

Extremely fussy and solitary cats to those that are nearly as happy-go-lucky as a typical dog.

Just as cats come in many colors so do their personalities. Some run terrified from running water, others enjoy lapping it directly from a lavatory faucet. Humans have told me about cats that *guard* Natural Scratch so their companions can't get at it. But then there are those with multiple cats who enjoy clawing the post at the same time.

The takeaway from this is as someone who is trying to live with a cat, it's important to realize that you have to learn the cat's personality and what motivates it in order to understand how to train it.

The Amazing Web

2009-12-09T08:44:00.002-06:00

Once in a while I need to stop and praise the amazing Web. This occasion was prompted by something that happened yesterday.

My wife was cleaning one of our cats' water dishes using vinegar to remove the mineral deposits and noticed a slimy-looking substance in the vinegar. Neither of us had seen anything like it before.

Later I typed something about this into Google and immediately discovered that the slime is common and even has a name, "Mother of vinegar." It's a combination of "cellulose and acetic acid bacteria" according to a Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_vinegar

Before the Internet, discovering a well-known fact like this might have required a trip to the library. Now after a few pokes, the answer is yours. It's a whole new world.

Introducing Natural Scratch Scratching Pads

2009-12-07T06:04:00.003-06:00

Cats who like to claw while on their stomachs will like the new horizontal cat scratching pads from Natural Scratch. These result from inquires from customers who have cats who are not inclined to claw a vertical post.

There are four new products in all, one made of cork and three made from white cedar.

They include features that have helped Natural Scratch posts solve clawing problems for people across the US and in a number of other nations. These include a bungee cord toy, cavities for catnip and kitty treats, and the training booklet.

Please have a look at the bottom of www.naturalscratch.com.

Two New Ways To Repel Cats From Things They Shouldn't Scratch

2009-11-28T07:31:00.003-06:00

Recently, I came upon two new-to-me ways of dissuading cats from clawing things in the home that are off limits. Thought I should pass them on. These were posted by experienced cat people on the Internet

1. To keep dogs and cats from furniture and such, use Vicks Vapor Rub. They hate this smell.

2. Spray the area that your cat is scratching with inexpensive perfume. It will stop immediately as they do not like the taste when licking their paws. I have been using this for 35 years and have not found a cat yet that continued to scratch my furniture. I hope this helps you, too.

Like humans, a cat tends to stay with something that pleases it. This means that if your cat has developed a bad scratching habit--clawing a couch for example--you will have to work with her or him to bread the habit. The above suggestions might help.

New Products On The Way From roygbivdesignsLLC

2009-11-24T07:47:00.003-06:00

Raw materials have been stockpiled and new tools purchased to build new products that will be added to my scratching post site, naturalscratch.com.

In the next weeks and months, I hope to introduce a horizontal scratching pad, an A-frame post and perch combination, and perhaps even a custom section, where I will allow people to tell me what type of cat furniture they want. It will then be built custom and shipped.

Goal is to have more products that will help people live with their cats without turning to drastic measures such as declawing.

Naming names.

2009-11-16T15:54:00.004-06:00

Scratching post? Cat scratching post? What's in a name? In this modern Internet world, quite a lot.

Names have always been essential and defining. Examples come to mind quickly: Ford Mustang, Prairie Style, Beatles, Stratocaster. 7-Up.

But in the era of "key" words, names are important in ways that didn't matter 20 years ago. Natural Scratch--I think at least--is a good name for the post I designed, have manufactured, and have sold for about the last 15 years.

However, few will go to Google and do a search on it. Some who receive recommendations from their friends do, I know, but most people who need a target for their cat's claws put in the words that they've heard or read most often. Maybe it's scratching post, scratcher, cat-scratching post, cat pole, or another...

There are many possibilities.

What's frustrating is that Natural Scratch offers people extremely high prospects for success in training their cats, but most people have never seen it and never will see it. Mainly this is due to the fact that I have yet to figure out how to get high search engine rankings consistently.

If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Figuring out Twitter and Wikipedia

2009-11-09T06:38:00.003-06:00

Saturday was my first time aboard Twitter, the hot, new "social media" capability. People keep telling me it's the place to be in terms of promoting Natural Scratch. I'm skeptical but willing to give it a try.

Same is true of Wikipedia which I am now a registered contributor to. Although it is necessary to be careful about information, wherever it appears, Wikipedia amazes me with its articles about absolutely arcane knowledge. For example, what is the story behind The Beatles wonderfully wacky "I Know Your Name"?

First objective is to discover how to go about mentioning Natural Scratch without appearing to be a shameless self-promoter who is contaminating capabilities made for non-commercial communications.

Squirrels

2009-11-02T05:53:00.004-06:00

Last Wednesday while mowing the lawn, I found a dead gray squirrel in the yard. This was a first. I've seen plenty that were killed by automobiles while crossing the street but I've never found one lifeless in the yard before.

Amazingly, two days later I was looking out a bedroom window and saw another dead gray squirrel. I thought it might have been the first dragged to a new position by a scavenger, but I was wrong. The first was where I had left it, I soon discovered, and now there was a second.

Both were in the vicinity of a decaying stump that had a number of mushrooms and other organisms feasting on its weakened wood. I suppose it's possible the squirrels poisoned themselves by sampling something they shouldn't have.

Or, maybe it was some disease. Strange.

Excellent Call From A Customer

2009-10-26T05:32:00.002-05:00

About three weeks ago a customer called and said her cedar Natural Scratch post had been clawed so deeply she needed to replace it. Music to my ears because it means the post served its purpose well.

She decided to order two new cedar posts so she could accommodate her cats in different areas of her home.

After I completed taking her order, she mentioned that her sister had a cork Natural Scratch, and it too had been clawed deeply.

Calls like this always make my day.

Horizontal scratching plank

2009-10-19T05:29:00.002-05:00

Customers sometimes ask me to produce a scratching device designed to be clawed horizontally rather than vertically. Some cats prefer scratching this way, and others are infirm and find it difficult to claw while standing.

Several years ago a woman approached me and wanted such a scratching target made out of the white cedar I typically use for vertical posts. Her cat had an illness but still loved to exercise her paws while on her stomach.

I made a custom white cedar plank for her, and she reported that her cat was using it regularly. When the cat died, the woman had the cedar plank creamated with her because she was so attached to it.

Currently, I am working on horizontal scratching pads made out of cork, which has proved to be a scratching material some cats love. Stay tuned.

Lifelong Reinforcement

2009-10-12T09:03:00.002-05:00

Once a cat is trained to claw an approved scratching post, it is important to reward this good behavior throughout the cat's life.

When you see her or him clawing away, praise and pet your cat and heap on the praise using a gentle, loving voice.

Now and then, give the cat a treat as an additional incentive.

Good habits last a lifetime when they are reinforced.

Training connects humans to cats

2009-10-06T07:39:00.002-05:00

Cats are smart creatures but their intelligence is completely different from ours. Who knows what they think?

When you train a cat, however, you'll communicate on a level that he or she understands--one that is fairly complex.

Though I've been around cats my entire life with some time off while I was at college, I didn't understand how to train them until the early 1980s. That's when my wife and I gave a home to Ursa Major and Star. When these two started tearing up the furniture and woodwork, I knew we needed to train them to claw a post of some kind.

This led directly to Natural Scratch. Much more of the story--and the vital role of training--is posted at http://www.naturalscratch.com/history.html

Please have a look.