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On
The Prowl:
A Feline Purr...spective
The Scratch Lounge
By Stacy Mantle
In honor of Feral Cat
Day, I wanted to do review something very
special for my October 15 update.
Something that every single feline in the world will love, no
matter how wild or domesticated they may be.
And so I went off in search of the purrrfect product.
I assure you, it wasn’t an easy search. It took long hours of research online,
visiting hundreds of pet stores, and ultimately flying to Las Vegas for the
SuperZoo show, where hundreds of vendors
attend to show off the latest and greatest products for the upcoming
holiday season.
 I found that Sin City
provided the ultimate showcase of products for all
cats, wild and domesticated, long and short haired, male or female.
But one of the best that I found is known as the Scratch
Lounge; and while it appears to be
a simple concept, it is indeed simple concepts that have taken over
the world. This product
is no different…
When the Scratch Lounge first arrived, I removed the box from the
shipping box, thinking that the shipping box was a bit redundant.
But, then there is a reason for everything.
I was greeted with the history of cats printed right on the box.
It explained everything about our favorite felines from
prehistoric times through modern society!
For instance, did you know that cats have a nesting instinct?
Ok – I knew that because, well (Ahem!) I am a cat expert,
you know. This product
plays on that instinct. Cats
love to nest, they love to feel protected and they love to scratch,
which is really just dislodging a thin sheath of outer skin that
grows regularly over their claws, they are not really
“sharpening” them, contrary to popular belief.
The Scratch Lounge plays a distinct role in our household now.
It’s used for sleep, play, communication and general
mayhem. It is also a
source of arguments as the cats fight over whose turn it is to lie
in the middle of it, and often two or three can be found curled up
inside together.
The feral cats that we care for love the
Scratch Lounge as well.
It’s not “walled” and this offers the wilder bunch a
fast route of escape while allowing them to feel secure at the same
time.
I believe it’s the first time I’ve seen them truly relax
together.
Now, a little about the product itself.
If I describe it, you’re going to have a hard time
believing it’s worth the $25.00 price tag, but I assure you it
is.
It’s a large, rectangular box that is filled with, near as
I can tell, corrugated cardboard. It
ships with a pack of Canadian catnip, but really you won’t find
much use for the catnip. The cats love the Scratch Lounge all by
itself, which says quite a bit right there.
At first I thought I would get the same response from an empty box,
and so, as I am a true product tester, I placed a large empty box
out next to the Scratch Lounge for a few days to see where the cats
spent the most time. Now,
there is nothing that my cats love more than a big empty box, they
are similar to the kids on Christmas morning. You know, when you put
all the gifts out, nicely wrapped, and the kids tear everything open
and spend hours pushing each other down the stairs in the giant
boxes and leaving the new bikes outside because it’s too cold out,
or they don’t want to brush their teeth before they go outside.
Well, I sort of expected the same result with my cats.
But, alas – they all chose the Scratch
Lounge, unless someone was
already on the Scratch Lounge and refused to give up their position,
in which case they grumbled and growled from inside the large box.
In all, I have to highly recommend this product.
It’s fun, it’s entertaining for your favorite felines, as
well as yourself, and you will get a lot of use out of it.
It appears to be long lasting, although I’ve only had it a
few weeks, there is no sign of it falling apart at all and that’s
with eighteen cats giving it 24-hr attention for 3 weeks straight.
This is an item that will be appearing on my upcoming Holiday list
for Cat Lovers, so put it on your cat’s Christmas list.
Don’t they deserve the very best?
From
the cats:
HIsses
& Spits: It would be even better if we had more of them.
The other kitties keep stealing it, which isn’t any fun!
We have to wait in line for our turn.
Purrs:
All paws up – we love our new Scratch Lounge!
From
the humans:
Two opposable thumbs up!
Too
much fun! If you
don’t already have one, order now!
You won’t regret it and your cats will love you for it!
Drawback? None that we can find!
We’ve had a lot of fun with this!
We’ll have to pick up a few more now that we have seen how
much the cats have enjoyed it!
About the Author
Stacy Mantle is a freelance writer who currently
resides in the southwestern deserts of Arizona with a number of
cats, a coyote/wolf hybrid, and a very understanding husband. Her
writing has appeared in publications such as The Arabian Horse
Times, Today’s AZ Woman, and Pets Illustrated. Many of
her stories and articles have been translated into several
languages, and now reach an international audience. Quickly becoming
known as "…the Erma Bombeck of animals", her
writing has skyrocketed to new heights as she records the stories of
those she loves, inspiring the reader to learn why we have all come
to love the animals we share our lives with. She is the author of Conquering
the Food Chain: Living Amongst Animals (Without Becoming One),
which is available in Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide, as
well as online at www.bn.com
or www.amazon.com.
Read
about these other great products: 12
Days of Cat-mas,
Holiday
Gift List for Cats,
DuckyWorld,
Catfisher
Bobber,
CellTei
Backpack,
KittyWalk,
Let
Meow't,
SmartCat
Toys,
The Cat Fisher,
The
Scratch Lounge,
The
Litter Robot, Feline
Furniture,
CitiKitty,
PawSense
Software,
CatXmasList Carriers,
DuckyWorld
Catnip,
Ssscat,
SmartCat
Litter System,
Urine
Off,
Animal
Pathways, Drinkwell
Pet Fountain,
AquaGarden,
Life's
Abundance,
PetTemp,
and Purrfect
Fence
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