Watch this clip and then read this article…

Dolphin Tale is based on the true story of a Dolphin named Winter who due to entanglement in a fishing trap (i.e., crab pot and ropes) sustained life threatening injuries to her tail.  The only way to stop the infection and provide her with a chance for survival was to amputate the tail fin.  This alteration in anatomical form led to a change in function.  Instead of moving the tail up and down as nature intended, she now had to move it from side to side in order to adapt, move and maneuver within the water.  She couldn’t swim as fast or jump as high as most dolphins, but the real problem was that she was slowly damaging her spine.  This unnatural movement was placing excessive pressure on her spine resulting in the development of Scoliosis with subsequent deterioration of the vertebrae eventually compromising other life sustaining functions.  Kevin Carroll and colleague, Dan Strzempka, both prosthetists with Hanger Orthopedic Group rose to the challenge of creating a prosthetic tail to restore her natural function.  Trainers at Clearwater Aquarium became physical therapists and rehabilitation supports assisting Kevin and Dan with the fitting of the prosthetic to the stump site and the gradual size modifications and upgraded prosthetic tails necessary to match Winter’s growth.  There was a period of adjustment for Winter as she became comfortable with the prosthetic device and learned how to use it to engage in daily activities associated with being a dolphin.

Taken from The Washington Post written By Ellen McCarthy, Published: September 23, 2011:

“We knew it was going to happen, but when it happened, it was just awesome,” Carroll says of the first time Winter used the full prosthetic. “Just to see this very clean, anatomically correct, fluidlike motion in the water — it was absolutely breathtaking.”

It is an inspiring account of humanity, the connection and bond that we share with other species if our hearts and minds are open and receptive…people coming together with the focused objective to ease discomfort, provide relief, help restore and improve the quality and state of another’s being.

The world is full of contradictions and great diversity. There are people who go to great lengths, despite the odds, to uplift and preserve the form and function of a species due to accident/injury and people who dismiss, ignore, rationalize, and justify a deliberate amputation (not due to accident/injury or medically necessary) that permanently alters the form and function of felines.  It’s hard to believe that the distal toe digits that house the claws of a cat are removed every day in the United States and Canada.  This is done despite the fact that cats, by nature, are digitigrades whose coordination, balance, mobility, flexibility depend on intact anatomy.  Dolphins need tails to swim and do all of the beautiful things that dolphins were created to be and do.  Cats need paws and claws to defend and protect themselves, stretch, knead, grasp, climb, communicate and do all of the beautiful things that cats were created to be and do.  Should a species be penalized with declawing for engaging in a natural behavior like scratching just because it is an inconvenience, unwanted, or incompatible with a human’s environmental expectations or because humans don’t know how to accommodate the behavior?

Just as Winter, the dolphin, by all visual accounts appeared “to adjust” to the loss of her tail, her adaptation to the loss created an unnatural movement that was uncharacteristic of her species placing excessive pressure and stress in corresponding regions.  This holds true for cats as well.  Without the tips of their toes…other ligaments, muscles, and tendons become engaged and weight is shifted to the back paw pads to overcompensate for the change and imbalance.

There are also psychological and/or behavioral changes that follow a change in form and function.  Winter, the dolphin, had to find an inner resolve to want to live which often took the encouragement of her care takers.  However, there is a stark difference between Winter and cats who are declawed.  Winter developed a trust in humans as every attempt and action was meant to facilitate her well-being.  Declawed cats, on the other hand, have the right to distrust humans and fear their intentions often developing an association of pain with trips to the Vet, with being handled, or with people in general.  Many times, the pain, trauma, and feelings of vulnerability associated with claw removal lead to exaggerated attempts at self-protection (fear of people, biting, decreased tolerance for handling and petting due to discomfort) and changes in urination and elimination (litter box avoidance and displaced elimination due to painful associations with moving litter with sensitive paws).

It is counterintuitive to suggest that we can modify a living, breathing being’s body without any ramifications to life as they know it or any resounding short-term and long-term effects.  Anyone who denies or minimizes the extent to which a being is affected is dismissing and devaluing that being and attaching ideas and concepts that marginalize them as property or unfeeling objects that never remember the trauma.

When there is an understanding and an appreciation for ALL that a species is, then we have the clarity of thought and the capacity for action to implement effective interventions that result in the integration of a natural behavior into our homes.  We find that we can share space with an incredible animal who just needs to be accepted and understood.

The CatAWhack Crew Purrforms "Free Your Mind - Free Felines!"

We’ve laid the scratch down!  I bet you didn’t know that The CatAWhack Crew is also musically feline inclined. We took En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind”, released in 1992, and gave it our own new special scratchin’ interpretation. Play the YouTube video while singing our lyrics.

“Purrrejudice, scratched a song about it
Like to hear it? Here it go
Free Felines!

I have claws loaded, all four paws
It doesn’t mean that I’ll do harm to ya, no no
I like a scratchin’, like scratchin’ posts
That doesn’t mean that I’m out scratchin’ folks no no no

Oh my forgive me for scratchin’ here, no
You should have placed a scratchin’ surface right there yea yea
I might scratch another chaise or carpet
It doesn’t mean that I won’t scratch other options

Why oh why must it be this way
Before you declaw me you gotta
Learn how to see me, I said
These claws are mine and don’t take them from me
Be feline kind, don’t be so hasty
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be feline kind, don’t be so shallow

So I’m a kitteh scratch things and dash
That really doesn’t mean that my behavior’s bad, oh
So why amputate me and change my life
Because you don’t think the price is high for me

I can’t scratch without being shamed, no
You changed my life before I learned what to do, ow
Oh now attitude, why even bother
I can’t change your mind, and now I’m permanently altered

Why oh why must it be this way?
Before you dismiss me you gotta
Learn how to see me, I said
These toes are mine and don’t take them from me
Be feline kind, don’t be so hasty
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be feline kind, don’t be so shallow
Free Felines!

Why oh why must it be this way?
Before you dismiss me you gotta
Learn how to see me, I said
These claws are mine and don’t take them from me
Be feline kind, don’t be so hasty
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be feline kind, don’t be so shallow
Free your mind!”

Have other lyrics about cat claw retention?  Land that scratch on our Facebook or Twitter Page.  You can also leave a scratch below this post.

Scratch On Felines…Scratch On!

I’ll admit I have strong feelings about feline declawing.  Many people do, whether for or against; it’s an issue that’s becoming more and more controversial among many members of the cat-owning public.  Others remain on the fence, unsure who and what to believe in regard to this procedure (which is also known as onychectomy or phalangectomy).  If you are a person who happens to be contemplating declawing your cat and you research the subject online, it can sometimes seem as if you have landed on a battlefield, with the veterinary community telling you that most cats recover just fine from a declaw, and a growing number of animal welfare activists seeming to say that every declawed cat is condemned to a life of suffering.  In my experience of working in the veterinary field for 7 years (including 2 years as a technician assisting with surgery and patient aftercare at a state-of-the-art, feline-exclusive hospital), the truth of the matter, as with most controversial issues, probably falls somewhere in between, but the risk of a life lived in chronic pain from this procedure is real and significant (see ”Physical Consequences of Declawing” by Dr. Jean Hofve at http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/physical-consequences-of-declawing/ ), and is only one of the potential negative effects of a surgery which is, in my opinion, never justified.

I have seen some cats’ lives unquestionably ruined by this procedure, and I have seen some declawed cats that appear to be happy and well adjusted, but with cats, appearances can often be deceiving.  Because they are small animals that would be prey for many others in the state of nature, cats often hide their symptoms when they are sick or in pain, and it’s this stoic nature that ironically can work against them in their status as companion animals.   (Dogs, on the other hand, do not share this stoicism, and this is why declawing is generally only performed on cats, despite the fact that a dog’s claws can also scratch people and damage property.  Vet students are told in school that declawing is too painful to subject a dog to, but the fact that it is notoriously difficult to determine the actual level of pain a cat may be feeling seems to make them fair game for the procedure.)  Results of a number of studies done on the effects of declawing (http://www.littlebigcat.com/declawing/studies-pertaining-to-declawing-onychectomy/) are not agreed upon by everyone in the veterinary community.  However, is a procedure that only ruins SOME patients’ lives one that should be as commonplace as declawing?  Surgery and medicine are not perfect sciences, and every patient is an individual with a unique recovery from surgery based on a variety of circumstances, whether that patient is a human or non-human animal.  Not all will do well, not all will do poorly, and individual outcomes can never be predicted with certainty.  With that being said, declawing is far from being as harmless as the American veterinary community continues to claim that it is (vets in a number of other countries around the world have refused to perform declaws and have supported bans on the procedure, citing it as animal cruelty), and there is a serious failure on the part of the American veterinary profession to ensure that every person seeking a declaw is provided with all the facts necessary for informed consent to an elective surgery.  This is inexcusable in my opinion, and represents a widespread breach of ethics amongst veterinary professionals.  It has created a vicious circle: the demand for declawing in North America (as opposed to many other parts of the world) is such that many vets, despite their personal views, feel they “have” to offer it in order to keep cats from being dumped at shelters or on the street, but the very fact that they offer the procedure is a tacit endorsement of it as an acceptable thing to do, and even vets who have personal feelings to the contrary will often portray declawing as being beyond reproach “the way we do it” in order to protect their professional integrity, as well as to protect their clients from feeling guilty over their decision.

So we have veterinarians telling people it’s all right to declaw because they assume people want it done (and further assume that people will abandon their cats to die if there is any obstacle whatsoever to having it done), but it’s my belief that the majority of people who want their cats declawed want it precisely BECAUSE their vets tell them it’s all right and because they are not given all the facts.  (For an in-depth look at how veterinary professionals rationalize the procedure and severely limit the information given to clients, see “Death or Declaw: Dealing With Moral Ambiguity In A Veterinary Hospital” by Dana Atwood-Harvey,  PhD. at http://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/567_s1343.pdf ).

At the same time, veterinarians are the very people with the greatest opportunity to reduce or eliminate the demand for declawing through education, yet more often than not, they fail to take that opportunity, thus helping to perpetuate the demand.   To illustrate:  I am against declawing today, but this was not always the case.  There was a time, before I began my career as a veterinary assistant and before I acquired my first cat, when I believed (as I think most laypeople do) that veterinarians would not perform this procedure if it was harmful to cats, and I thought that if I ever did get a cat, I would probably elect to have him or her declawed.  Since that time, I have worked at three different veterinary hospitals in two different states, and my position on declawing has been completely reversed by all that I’ve seen and learned.

The first vet I worked for would not perform declaw operations, stating unequivocally to her staff and her clients alike that the procedure was inhumane and unnecessary, given the number of alternative means for coping with the normal and natural scratching behavior of cats.  (I will list some of these at the end of this article.)  I knew next to nothing about the procedure at this time- only that it was the surgical removal of a cat’s claws by a veterinarian.  I never thought about what that might actually entail or how it might be done.   At this hospital, however, I was told for the first time that the declaw procedure actually involves the amputation of the tips of every digit on the paws, since the claw basically grows right from the bone, and that many cats have very difficult recoveries.  I was also told by other staff members at the time that this hospital was rare in having a “no-declaw” policy, though I wouldn’t realize for several years exactly how rare.  They did offer an alternative procedure called a tendonectomy, which is another controversial procedure which involves severing the tendons in a cat’s paw so that it cannot extend its claws or use them in any way.  The head vet did not entirely approve of this procedure either and would not perform it on a cat without a mandatory consultation appointment with the client first, wherein they would discuss behavior modification techniques, techniques for trimming the claws at home, and other methods of dealing with destructive or aggressive behavior.  The tendonectomy was done only as a last resort when the client had satisfied the vet that all the other strategies for coping with the cat’s claws had been attempted.  Tendonectomies carry their own risks and side effects, one of which is that the claws still need routine trimming or else they will grow into the paw pads and cause pain and infections because the cat cannot wear them down through normal use, and as a result this surgery is believed by some to be no more humane than declawing (myself now included- it’s far more humane to simply trim the claws and skip the surgery.)  But because it was not orthopedic surgery, it was my employer’s professional opinion that it was a more humane alternative than a declaw.  The emphasis here is my employer’s; orthopedic surgery such as a declaw, she said, is recognized in medicine to be the most painful kind a patient (human or animal) can undergo.  Cutting through weight-bearing joints cannot be compared to a soft-tissue incision, and this is why declawing cannot be compared with other elective veterinary surgeries such as spaying and neutering, which my employer strongly advocated for all companion animals.  (Spaying and neutering also carry genuine medical benefit to the animal because they significantly reduce the risk of reproductive cancers, infections such as pyometra, and fight wounds associated with the mating season in males.  Declawing carries no such medical benefit to the patient.)

Hearing this was enough for me; I knew from that point on that I could never have any cat of my own declawed- especially since I now had a kitten and was learning just how effective a simple nail trim is in eliminating injuries or property damage from cat claws- nor could I in good conscience ever recommend it to anyone else.  Her statement would be confirmed for me at a conference of the American Association of Feline Practitioners which I attended as a technician years later in 2003.  That was where I learned that an onychectomy is often used as the standard of efficacy for pain medication in veterinary medicine. (In other words, it’s believed that if a drug can manage the pain associated with a declaw, it can handle anything.  One drug that is commonly used, fentanyl, is such a strong narcotic that in human medicine, it is typically only given to the terminally ill.  THAT is how painful a declaw is, and this is recognized and taught within the veterinary community, but it is something that most vets will never tell a client seeking a declaw at their clinic.  Furthermore, there exists in veterinary medicine no standard protocol for the type or amount of pain medication administered to patients- there are only recommendations, which individual practices can follow or disregard at will.  At many clinics that perform declaws, in fact, pain medication is optional for the client based on how much they wish to pay.)

When this vet retired and sold her clinic, I went looking for another animal hospital in my area with a similar policy against declawing, and began to understand then just how few and far between such veterinary practices are.  I eventually resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted to continue working in the veterinary field, I would be forced to work for a vet that declawed.  For years I wrestled with my conscience, trying to balance the good that is done for animals in the veterinary field against what I saw-and still see- as the hypocritical aberration of declawing.  I could not understand why declawing was apparently so widely endorsed by the veterinary community if there was any evidence at ALL that declawing could lead to long-term changes in the musculoskeletal system resulting in chronic pain.  Even leaving that aside, the short-term recovery was often so bloody and traumatic that I had nightmares in which I relived having to struggle with hysterical cats to clean them up and rebandage their paws on the mornings following declaws. Most declaw patients are kept in the hospital at least one night, with some hospitals keeping them up to two or three days, and it is not at all uncommon during the first night for cats to pull off the pressure bandages intended to prevent hemmoraging, as few vet hospitals have staff on the premises to monitor patients 24 hours a day.  The result is not pretty.  The “slaughterhouse effect”, as I came to think of it, doesn’t happen all the time or with every declaw procedure, but I saw it happen often enough, and at enough different hospitals, to convince me that it pointed to the nature of the procedure itself rather than the standard of care at any one hospital.  And every time it did happen, the cat’s owner was still told when they came to pick their pet up that he or she “did fine”.  It seemed the very antithesis of what we were all supposedly there to do, and indeed, just as in human medicine, a key component of the Veterinarian’s Oath is to do no harm.   I got in trouble at more than one job on more than one occasion for attempting to provide the same information to clients about declawing that I would want to have myself if I were considering the procedure for my own cat, because I remembered what it was like when I didn’t know anything about it. I was told at one job, for example, that it was “not (my) place, but the doctor’s” to discuss declawing with clients, yet I could see no evidence that the doctors were in fact actually discussing it with the vast majority of clients that scheduled their cats for the surgery.  I tried talking to the doctors themselves many times over the years about the need to provide more thorough client education, always to no avail.  Meanwhile, I often witnessed declawed cats being brought back into the hospital(s) multiple times for various complications following the surgery.  (In the most memorable case, the cat developed an infection which rapidly spread through the remaining bones of the paw, necessitating an amputation of the entire paw at the wrist.  Though they are not always this severe, infections post-declaw are extremely common, because there is simply no way to keep the amputated stumps as clean as such wounds should be kept during the healing period.)  In the end, I could not continue to stay silent on the issue, and since leaving my last veterinary assistant job, I feel that I am able to do more good for cats by being free to tell the truth about my experiences than I ever could have by continuing to keep my head down and to do as I was told.  I refuse to work for another vet who declaws cats ever again.

Why does the Veterinary Community support or endorse declawing? 

I do believe a large part of the reason the veterinary community supports and endorses declawing is financial in nature.  It is far less time consuming and far more lucrative to simply schedule an elective surgery with no questions asked than it is to provide pet owners with a thorough education about the procedure, which more often than not results in minds being changed about scheduling that surgery.  The reality is that veterinary hospitals are also businesses, but when veterinarians place the needs of running a business before informed consent for pet owners, they fail in their sworn duty to both their animal patients and their human clients.  Furthermore, they also fail in this duty when, financial motives aside, they take the position that declawing is a “lifesaving” procedure and that they are helpless to change the societal (as opposed to medical) factors that make that so.  If, as professionals who have sworn to “relieve and prevent animal suffering”, they perceive that an indisputably painful surgical procedure is necessary to keep cats in homes, then it should be a professional priority to address this as a legitimate and significant threat to the well-being of the domestic cat, and veterinarians nationwide should launch an education campaign every bit as aggressive as those designed to get their clients using heartworm-prevention medications, for example, or having their pets’ teeth cleaned.  But we do not see this happening, except for a very small percentage of vets who are willing to break ranks with the majority of their colleages.  (And incidentally, many animal shelter workers are now going on record about the numbers of declawed cats they see relinquished by their owners, such as in ”Declawing As Seen By A Shelter Volunteer” at http://cats.about.com/od/declawing/a/ucfeature7.htm, which calls into question the assertion by the veterinary industry that the procedure keeps cats in homes.  Shelter workers observe that declawed cats are usually relinquished for behavior problems such as biting or failing to use the litterbox, whereas cats with claws are usually relinquished for other reasons, such as “moving and can’t take him with us.”  The American Veterinary Medical Association claims there is not enough scientific evidence that declawing is linked to biting and litterbox avoidance, despite the fact that a number of studies [http://www.littlebigcat.com/declawing/studies-pertaining-to-declawing-onychectomy/ ] have shown this to be the case.)

What to do if you’re worried about cat scratching…

If you are worried about your cat scratching you, your child, other pets, or your furniture, all that is really necessary to eliminate these possibilities is a regimen of regular trimming of the claws.  Once a month is usually sufficient, but it can be done more often if deemed necessary; cat claws can be kept trimmed so short and blunt as to be virtually incapable of causing damage.  If you have never attempted this before, there is an excellent article with photos at http://www.cat-world.com.au/how-to-trim-your-cats-claws, and a YouTube video presented by a certified veterinary technician at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGba7Cnrzfs .  Your vet’s office can also trim the nails for you if you are unable to do it yourself.  While I believe this is the most effective means of coping with cat claws, there are numerous other humane alternatives, such as “Soft Paws”, which are plastic nail caps that can be glued over the claws, (demonstration video by Dr. Christianne Schelling at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjVjsmTOOUo ) and ”Sticky Paws”, which are materials similar to double-sided tape that can be safely applied to (and later removed from) furniture to discourage cats from scratching there.  Another technique is to fasten aluminum foil over targeted areas of furniture.  Cats dislike the feeling of these materials on their paws, and it’s usually only necessary to use them temporarily until the scratching behavior has been redirected to an acceptable surface.  A decorative throw blanket can also protect furniture, because it interferes with the cat’s ability to get a good purchase on the upholstery with the claws, and again the cat learns that this surface is unsatisfying.  Scent deterrents to scratching can also be effective.  There are commercial repellent sprays available that can be used to discourage a cat from scratching or even approaching a particular area.  Citrus scents can be particularly effective for this.

As important as it is to make the furniture undesirable to your cat, it is perhaps even more important to supply the cat with an acceptable outlet for scratching, which is after all a normal and necessary part of feline behavior.  Unfortunately, there are a great many scratching posts on the market that are not designed with a cat’s true needs in mind, and these poor-quality posts are responsible for the belief of many people that their cats “just won’t use” a scratching post.  A good quality post doesn’t need to be expensive, but it needs to be tall enough for the cat to stretch the full length of its body upward, and heavy enough so that it doesn’t tip over easily.  The type of material the post is covered with also makes a difference; one that is covered in carpeting might be giving your cat the wrong message- namely, that carpet and other soft materials like upholstery are acceptable to scratch on.  Many cats also actually prefer a somewhat rougher texture.  Sisal rope and corrugated cardboard are good choices; corrugated cardboard has the advantage of being quite inexpensive, and is very popular with cats.  Sometimes the perfect scratching post is a natural tree branch or log that can be obtained for free!  Some cats prefer horizontal scratching “pads” rather than a vertical post.  Sprinkling a little bit of catnip on the post or pad will usually make it irresistible.  The location of the post or pad is also important.  Place them in the area(s) your cat most often seems to want to scratch.  If the location your cat chooses is not a convenient one for you, be patient.  The post/pad can be gradually moved to another spot, a little distance at a time, once your cat is habituated to using it- and though it may take some trial and error to determine your cat’s preferences, virtually all cats WILL use a scratching post or pad once the right combination of materials and location is found.  Multiple-cat households may require multiple posts.

Given the high rate of potential complications from declawing ranging from the moderate to the severe, and given the fact that it is entirely possible not only to train cats to scratch only in appropriate places, but also to render their claws virtually harmless without amputating their toes, there is no reason why an estimated 25 to 45 percent of pet cats in the U.S. should be subjected to this procedure.  As has been observed by forward-thinking vets, correcting a behavioral problem with a surgical solution went out of fashion with lobotomies.  It’s time the American veterinary industry caught up to most of the rest of the First World and started living up to its oath.  If your pediatrician told you it was all right to amputate your child’s fingers because the child drew on the walls or scratched you- would you believe that, too?

Consider this…You searched for that purrfect cat bed for your feline family member.  Finally, you spot it online…It’s cute, cushiony, and colorful.  It’s sure to be a hit with your cat.  You can’t wait for it to arrive special delivery and witness the utter delight and approval of your cat.

You discover the package on the porch as you arrive home from work.  You hurriedly bring it inside, unwrap it and drop it under the nose of your cat.  You wait expectantly for your cat to jump in, knead the fabric, produce those approving purr sounds, and curl up for that first snooze.  However, your cat sniffs the bed a few times, circles it, and then shows more interest in the box.

You breathe a heavy sigh as you try to push away the regret of spending that often $40.00 to $110.00 investment in a “cute” cat bed that simply becomes a conversation piece with guests.  Your cat prefers your bed, that flower pot on the porch, that nook in the bookcase, or that sunny spot in front of the window.  So what’s going on?

Your cat’s sleep location and bedding decision is determined by a highly adaptive and acute sense system – sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.

Before we begin, we want to emphasize how important it is to not only to understand cats from a species standpoint, but also from their unique individual perspective and experience.  Their sleep preferences are as wide and diverse as ours.  Observation will provide the information that you need to determine your feline’s needs. 

Some reasons your cat may be avoiding the cat bed that you bought:

1.       SYNTHETIC MATERIALS:  The following words are used to describe recycled fiberfill blend made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles that are being used to fill the inner cores or contents of pet beds.

Plastic bottles are generally made from Polyethylene Terephthalate (PTH) which uses a petroleum based manufacturing process that is derived from crude oil.  Oil is a non-renewable resource and produces emissions that do not benefit us or the Earth.  Although recycling plastic bottles uses much less energy than the original manufacturing process, it keeps a less than optimal material in circulation.

While we would prefer that plastic bottles, containers, etc. were replaced with biodegradable options, until then we would rather see the recycling of plastics than new plastics being created.  However, we question the use of shredded recycled plastic bottles in pet bedding where the contents can be accessed by an aggressive chewer or claws that can rip open seams.  Can you imagine parents allowing their toddlers to play with toys filled with this material when it has the potential to be ingested or create a potential choke hazard?  Parents are even adopting alternative bottle containers for their toddlers, preferring stainless steel instead.

Conscientious ‘pet’ parents are now moving toward more natural, organic, biodegradable options that benefit their fur kids and the planet.  Let’s face it…we really don’t need any more toxins and chemically processed items in the environment.

The expectation with these reused ‘fiberfill’ products is that the consumer will be responsible for recycling the shredded plastic bottle contents when the bed has ran its course and is eventually disposed.  However, this additional step can create an inconvenience for most consumers with contents often ending up in landfills.  If we can make purchases that are biodegradable from the start, we are contributing to a natural decomposition cycle that is much more beneficial than a chemical reprocessing cycle.

We encourage those who love their fur kids to consider natural, organic, biodegradable alternatives whenever pawsible.  Ever wonder why that expensive cute adorable bed that you purchased is empty or avoided by your fur kid?  It could be that their sensitive noses are detecting scents and chemical odors that repel them to more natural less processed fibers and surfaces around your home.  If your bed is lined with organic linens or your mattress is derived primarily from cotton, wool, natural rubber latex, or hemp, you may find your cats preferring your bed to their own.

Synthetic materials can occur in and on beds you buy AND those you make.  For example, I had a friend who witnessed her cat preferring a tiny cardboard box for curling up and napping.  She thought it would be cute to decoupage the box and give it some flair.  Guess what happened?  Her feline family member didn’t want anything to do with it after that.  Why?  More than likely it was the adhesive that she used; the magazine print, inks, or dyes; and could even have been the leftover aroma of an orange that was eaten during the creative process and transferred to the box when handling.  Our feline friends’ sense of smell is fourteen times greater than ours so although your nose could be missing that whiff of chemical by-products, your cat could be overwhelmed by the odor and seek relief by moving away from the source.   

2.       LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:  Maybe it has absolutely nothing to do with the bed itself and has more to do with the location.  Some cats prefer a high perch where they can curl up, snooze, and awaken with a full view of everything around them.  This need may be especially prevalent in multi-cat households for a cat wanting to ensure safety, security, and multiple escape route options with enough lead time to flee in response to a housemate attempting an ambush.

Others prefer a dark cavernous enclosed space to catch those zzzz’s.  Some cats prefer to wake to a scenic view.  Think about it, if you had a view of a mountain range outside one of your bedroom windows, wouldn’t you want to face your bed in that direction so you could be awed each and every morning?  You gotta think like a cat…not just any cat…your cat!  Maybe their scenic view is the garden, a bird feeder hanging outside of the window, a tree where squirrels play, a pond where ducks or geese swim, a busy street, or a clear view of the drive so they can see you depart and return.

Location can also affect a cat’s sensory experience which can aid in sleep or interrupt it.  Since cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds than humans, we may not always be aware of the intrusion of sound on cats sleep patterns and/or sleep locations.  Maybe your cat is a night owl and seeks a quiet hideaway during the day to catch up on those 14 hours of sleep.  After all, imagine working an overnight job and needing quiet conditions for sleep when the rest of the world is just waking up and getting started.  You would want to reduce noise so you could sleep soundly, right?  Noises can take the form of construction, traffic, loud neighbors, practicing bands at a nearby stadium or an adjacent apartment, overhead airline take-offs and landings, barking dogs, etc.  Since these sounds may be more prevalent at different times of the day, your cat may actually have several sleep locations to accommodate the change in noise levels.

Cats are also equipped with sensitive “feelers” that aid in sensation, action, and acclimation to new environmental conditions.  For example, imagine being seated in a restaurant near an air vent.  Although you’re trying to be attentive to what your friend is sharing, the air current is distracting you.  It’s creating movement of your hair which is tickling your forehead and cheek and the tiny hairs on the surface of your skin are detecting a slight chill.  According to Wikipedia, “a cat has about twenty-four movable vibrissae (“whiskers”), in four rows on each upper lip on either side of its nose (some cats may have more). There are also a few on each cheek, tufts over the eyes, bristles on the chin, the cat’s inner “wrists”, and at the back of the legs.”  These sensitive sensory detectors can provide extraordinary information about a cat’s environment because of the numerous nerve endings found at the base of each one.  A cat bed positioned near a forced air source can inhibit sleep causing your cat to seek another sleep location or encourage sleep based on the temperature and comfort needs of your cat.

3.       TEXTURE & TACTILE SENSATION:  Different fabrics and surfaces can have different textures or weights that appeal to your cat or repel them.  Also, synthetic fibers such as polyester can create static electricity producing an unexpected shock for your cat that may make them avoid a cat bed.  Here are a few methods discovered via Google that claim to reduce static cling and shock potential:

• After removing the cat bed cover from the dryer, mist with water and allow to dry naturally before placing on cat bed inner core
• Wash and dry synthetic fabrics and cottons separately
• After placing the cleaned cat bed cover back on the cat bed inner core, run a metal wire clothes hanger over the top
• When brushing your cat, mist the brush and/or your cat with water

4.       PRICE:  Although a cheap bed that is affordable and within budget may seem like a steal, the long term consequences could be expensive in more ways than one.  Inexpensive beds are often made of synthetic materials and can contain toxins such as stain and grease-proof coatings (perfluorochemicals, or PFCs); fire retardant chemicals known as PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers; and heavy metals that contribute to thyroid dysfunction and cancer.  Although organic “pet” beds may be a little more expensive, they tend to be safer, more durable due to the natural fibers, and will create a respite for your feline that is  free of the smells, tastes (detected from contact with bed and grooming), and risks associated with chemical production.

5.       PERSONAL PREFERENCES OVER PURRSONAL PREFERENCES:  Many times we buy items for our animal companions based on OUR preferences instead of THEIRS…we like the way it feels; we think it looks soft and comfortable; we think the color, shape, or design will blend well with the existing home interior; or it’s within budget, cheap and affordable.  How would you feel if one of your friends or family members bought you a mattress based on their comfort needs and sleeping preferences instead of yours?  You may need more support for your lower back; prefer firm and supportive instead of soft and conforming; natural instead of synthetic; Queen instead of a Full size; pillow top vs. standard; etc.  Take into account your cat’s current sleep locations, bedding preferences, and physical needs and let your feline family member lead the way.

Coordinating with our feline family members in the creation of the optimal sleep experience calls us to pay attention to bedding composition; locations for bedding placement; and internal and external environmental cues that could affect when and where our cat sleeps.  If we pay attention to our cat’s physical needs, their particular preferences regarding location, and their species-specific sense system, we can inevitably save by buying right the first time.

We want our offering to produce excitement, inspire play, and add to their environmental enrichment, while ensuring their health, well-being and safety.   We’re becoming more thoughtful and conscientious about the gifts that we provide the ones that we cherish.

Cattress Mattress and Purrfectplay offer products that are:

• Made in the USA
• Composed of Organic Natural Fibers like Cotton, Wool, and Hemp
• Free of Synthetic or Reprocessed Plastics
• Free of dyes and toxins
• Durable
• Sustainable and Fair Trade

If you don’t buy from us, here are some great suggestions provided by our friends at Purrfectplay.com for finding those earth friendly and furkid safe toys that you can feel good about.

1. Check the label – WHERE was it made? Toys made in other countries like China
have been found to contain heavy metals and toxic chemicals.
2. Stay aware of any recalls and visit pet-related news sites to learn breaking news on toxic pet toys and pet products.
3. Check the label – WHAT is the toy made of? Avoid all synthetics/plastics.
Try to buy certified organic or natural fiber toys.
4.  Check the label again for company information.  Companies who are concerned about our environment will say what they are doing to help.  Support the good guys!
5. Smell and touch the toy.  Pet toys should not have a strong chemical smell and shouldn’t feel weird.
6. Avoid heavily dyed toys.  Fabric dyes often contain heavy metals and strong chemicals.
7.  Avoid toys that have been treated with fire retardants or stain guard.
8. Is the toy inexpensive?  If so, the workers may have worked in sweat shop conditions.  Sweat shop conditions are rarely earth-friendly.

We hope the following suggestions help you find that purrfect gift while keeping you and yours healthy and happy during the holiday season and throughout the new year!

Wishing you a Happy Holiday, a Meowy Christmas and a Waggy New Year!

Pamela Wheelock
Purrfectplay

Bret Glass
Cattress Mattress

Do the CatAWhack Scratch!

We Say Knick Knack CatAWhack
Give That Cat a Throne
We say Knick Knack CatAWhack
Scratchin’ Up Your Home
We Say Knick Knack CatAWhack
Leave the Claws Alone
We Say Knick Knack CatAWhack…
Get a CatAWhack!

Your Cat Needs a Purrsonalized Space
It’s No Wonder He’s Scratchin’ Up In Your Place
Get A CatAWhack, Hey What Do You Say?
Cats Have Claws, They Were Built That Way!

Your Cat is Just Tryin’ to Mark Out Some Room
Run Around Your Mattress Like ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM
The Boundaries You Mark with Scratch Surfaces They Prefer
Will Keep Claws Off of Your Furniture!

Hey Ho, Paws Up, Let’s Go!
Hey Ho, Claws Out, Scratch Low!

Scratch, Scratch…Let the Cat Scratch
Scratch, Scratch…Let the Cat Scratch
Scratch, Scratch…Let the Cat Scratch
Scratch a CatAWhack!
Don’t Give Your Cat A Whack for Scratching… ABSOLUTELY NOT!… Give a CatAWhack for Scratching!

So what is the basis of Cat Scratch Reconditioning?

Let’s start by clarifying what IT ISN’T:

Cat Scratch Reconditioning IS NOT about imposing your will on another being; it is not about demanding that another being change to suit your needs or make you more comfortable at the expense of their own comfort; it is not about a hierarchal relationship in which you are the top cat roosting on a perch of superiority; it is not about ‘training’ a being to purrform on demand; it is not about another relenting to your control in order to avoid a negative consequence; it is not about ‘breaking another beings spirit’ in order to make them subservient; it is not about becoming the Top Cat, Leader of the Pride, King Kindle, Clowder Commander, Lord Litter or Princess Pounce; it is not a game of power and intimidation;  it is not meant to be a tug of war to determine whether human or feline is ‘in control’.

What IT IS:

Cat Scratch Reconditioning IS about greeting your cat on a platform of equanimity; it’s about having an understanding of your feline family member and the species-specific needs associated with health, well-being, and thriving; it’s about having an appreciation for their purrescence, their contribution, and their unique expression; it’s about working WITH your cat in creating a mutually beneficial home environment that addresses the species-specific needs associated with you both; it’s about providing inspurration, incentives, and rewards that are linked to coordination and behavior; it’s about developing pawsitive associations between you, behavior, outcomes, and them; it’s about supporting the natural inclinations of your cat, their pawticular purreferences, and their unique purrsonalities; it’s about embracing the reality that cats scratch as a natural, healthy form of communication, hygiene, exercise, and play; it’s about taking that knowledge and providing strategically placed scratch outlets throughout the home that provide them with an opportunity for expression; it’s about providing them with consistent assistance in identifying and utilizing the scratch surfaces that were designed and designated with them in mind; it’s about integrating natural cat scratching behavior into the home environment in the interest of claw retention and interior preservation; it’s about creating, discovering and utilizing resources, products and information that support claw retention initiatives; it’s about mapping out purrsonal space, setting boundaries, and assisting each home inhabitant in establishing their ‘place’ within the family structure; it’s about the purrfect collaboration where human and feline actually SEE each other and establish a form of interaction, interdependence, and coexistence that benefits both.

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