Cats scratch! It’s an inherent trait and something they do to relieve stress, mark their territory and sharpen their claws.
That’s why its so important to give them permission to scratch in designated places. They also like different textures and the ScratchLadder answers all these needs — a designated place and four different textures namely wood, sisal, carpet and a material surface.
The ladder stands 12″ wide x 16.5″ deep x 21″ tall, and, the company Scratch Play Meow, allows cat parents to customize and choose the panels that will best suit their feline’s scratching needs. For review, we selected all four options and the company sent their newest wood panel which included two Velcro-mice to attach to the panel. It was easy to assemble.
Behaviorists always suggest placing a scratching product near a favorite snooze zone as typically cats like to wake up and scratch. Initially, it was left it in the living room unattended for two new testers to our test team Izzie and Mr. Poopypants, to discover it on their own. They didn’t.
It was relocated to a new area in the house and sprayed with a catnip spray. More waiting … In full disclosure, with a house full of people including two high-energy kids permanently home because of the current lockdown, the kitties were slow to explore.
So the ScratchLadder was moved again and third time was the charm!
“There was some mild interest to start,” details their Cat Mom. ” Unfortunately every time I expressed any excitement and enthusiasm over it being used, the cat in question looked guilty and ran off! I appreciated the tips that were included to provide positive reinforcement when your cat is using the ScratchLadder. We have to keep working on this!
“While it took them a while to discover this to be a permitted scratching zone, they are now enjoying all the different options especially the carpet and sisal. And being cats, they are being “creative” as Izzie, who is a horizontal scratcher likes to stand behind it and scratch the flat wood… In this household, the fabric is the least favorite but I love the print and, and from a decorative standpoint, think the ladder looks cuter with the fabric I chose.
“At the end of the day, the cats didn’t like the mouse attachments, which left us with a panel with two velcro tabs …”
So the secret is to understand your cat’s needs and purchase the panels accordingly. If they love sisal and carpet — double up on those!
All said, the ScratchLadder is an attractive and different option to other scratching products. And it’s really important to give cats options for good feline enrichment. Also it doesn’t take up too much real estate in the home.
It’s for these reasons that the product gets our coveted Must Have Stamp of Approval.
We also liked the backstory; ScratchLadders are handmade by Pine Ridge Industries, a division of the Schenectady ARC, a chapter of The Arc, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
