Cats can be very selective scratchers and climbers so lets examine why your cat will choose to scratch, sleep, and play on our cat trees, cat condos, and scratching posts instead of your furniture while comparing the features and materials with sellers of other cat furniture.

1. Cats Prefer Round, Oversized, and Stable Scratching Posts.

Cats are naturally attracted to round posts since the shape looks and feels instinctively like a tree trunk and it's comfortable to climb.  Wouldn't it be easier on the joints and more natural to scale up a round post instead of a square post such as a 2x4? CatQuarters.com uses thick walled oversized 4 1/2" diameter round scratching posts with solid wood inserts for hardware offering the natural round climbing feel cats prefer while being heavy and strong for maximum climbing stability. Some cat furniture manufacturers use either square 2x4's (hard on the joints and offers little scratching material) or small diameter and flimsy thin walled cardboard posts (unstable and light weight) so many cats prefer not to climb and scratch on either of these types of awkward posts. What good is cat furniture if your cat chooses not to use it?

2. Cats Prefer Round and Private Sleeping Quarters.

Cats are most comfortable sleeping in a private supported position. We build our round houses with 15" and 20" inside diameters and all cat beds have a 15" inside diameter so even large cats fit comfortably. The beds and houses have large entries for easy access and our beds have 6" tall support sides that your cat can cuddle up against for support while offering a level of sleeping privacy. The alternative some cat furniture manufacturers choose is a square bed and low side supports made with 2x4's. Their houses are usually built square, irregularly shaped, or too small so your cat won't fit comfortably inside. Does that sound like a very inviting place to sleep?

3. Cats Prefer Carpet to Sleep on and Climbing Posts Covered With It.

Plush carpet is comfortable to sleep on and cats prefer carpeted posts since they can dig their claws into the rough backing to climb and scratch. Did you know cats have scent glands between their paws to mark territory? They can distinguish the carpet on your floors from the carpet on their scratching posts by leaving their unique scent after scratching and climbing the posts. Our carpet is stain resistant with strong unlooped fibers (to prevent injury from snagging nails) and holds up well to the most vigorous scratchers. The inferior alternative other manufacturers use is faux fur materials and cats cannot dig their claws into it. Another downside to faux fur is how it attracts hair like a magnet so your cats shedding hair will literally embed itself into the material making the cat hair impossible to remove from the furniture.

4. Cats Prefer to Scratch on Natural Untreated Sisal Rope.

Not all sisal rope is safe for cats so beware. Did you know sisal rope found in hardware stores is treated and toxic to cats? When they scratch the treated sisal rope and later lick their paws to groom themselves they will ingest those toxins. NEVER build cat furniture using sisal or manila cordage from local hardware stores. We use all natural Brazilian untreated 3/8 thick sisal rope on our posts. In fact, our sisal rope is so safe and natural it's manufactured for birds as a chewing toy. Other manufacturers use 1/4 inch sisal rope that shreds easily so it won't last as long and some manufacturers are now using chemically treated manilla fibers imported from China to reduce costs.

5. Cats Prefer Bases and Platforms Made From Heavy and Strong Wood.

We use strong 5/8" thick Oriented Strand Board (OSB) wood to construct our cat furniture bases and platforms. The heavy weight (10-15% heavier than plywood) provides strength and stability without concern the wood will break while multiple cats enjoy jumping, romping, and climbing all over it. If you have a newer home, OSB is most likely the wood supporting your walls and roof. Some cat furniture manufacturers use cheap particle or pressed board and the light weight makes cat furniture unstable and it breaks easily. Cats wisely choose not to climb unstable surfaces based instinctively on avoiding climbing unsafe trees and branches in the wild.