Tag: scratching post

Everything · Kitty Knowledge · Murli the cat · Pictures

Interesting Article – Scratch the Surface: Why Cats Scratch and What to Do About It

Natascha and the Cats14 Comments

Hello dear furends!
An interesting article was shared with my recently, about the different preferences cats have in the way they scratch and the different reasons for scratching. I had no idea that they have their own preference in the way they scratch. I always assumed that cats adjust the way they scratch to the object they use to scratch. But as it turns out, they actually have a preference for scratching vertically or horizontally. Now I know that Murli likes to scratch vertically. She never uses other surfaces like scratching pads that just lie on the floor.

The way she scratches in the video, is the only way she scratches.
  She will completely ignore anything else. Scratching pads have to
  be mounted onto a wall for her to use them.

Kaylee from Ghergich.com shared the article with me, as they teamed up with Petco to create this article. She was so kind to write the following intro for our blog, and kindly let me put these adorable graphics into my post. The Link to the article is within the following title and at the end of this post.

Scratch the Surface: Why Cats Scratch and What to Do About It

If you’re like most cat owners, you know that your special feline or felines has a personality all their own. They might be playful and energetic, or more content and quiet. They may move from room to room during the day, or find a spot in the sun—and stay there. Cats are distinct, which is part of why we love them so much.

There’s another distinct habit that’s instinctual to all cats, but that every feline works at differently—scratching. Scratching isn’t anything you can make your cat stop—but it isn’t anything that has to make you angry at your cat, especially if they target furniture or other special pieces in the home.

It’s important to understand why a cat scratches. It isn’t to be destructive—it’s actually healthy. It helps them sharpen claws and get rid of dead skin, and it also enables them to stretch. So how can you help them do that—and live contentedly with them? This graphic can show you the way.

There is much more information and explanations within the original article: 
Scratch the Surface: Why Cats Scratch and What to Do About It

Thank you again Kaylee, for sharing the article with me, and letting me use these graphics.

Everything · Murli the cat · Videos

January 16, 2017 Murlis reaction to the missing Christmas tree (video)

Natascha and the Cats2 Comments

Even though I wanted to keep the Christmas tree until the end of the month, but the tree began to really deteriorate even more within the last few days… It got soooo dry, and the branches were sag lower and lower, so low that Murli was only able to crawl around with her belly touching the floor, below the tree, instead of zooming around it, like it was possible before. I also had to constantly pick pine needles out of her fur lol. I found pine needles nested and stuck within her fur all the time, when we were cuddling. Even though it was getting quite dry for some time now, we kept it for as long as it was possible. But it had to go now. Sadly…

I worried Murli would be sad, because she absolutely loved the tree. It was her first big tree, at least quite bigger than the table top trees she knew until this Christmas. My parents always had huge trees, like up to the ceiling… So it wasn’t my first big tree.

In the hope to make it less sad for her, I cut off the branches, her branches, where she would always rub her little head into while the tree was here. I put her branches next to the spot where the tree was. Also, I put together what was available, to make a new place for her where she could hide, play around and hang out. Kind of as replacement, so there wouldn’t just be an empty spot instead of the tree. She loves when I put boxes like that, with the opening facing away and to a wall or similar. I also put toys in and around there, including some valerian root toys and some cat nip stuff.

Anyway, Murli was napping in another room, and she had not seen yet that the tree was gone. So I filmed when she came out and saw all of that for the first time and that her tree was gone!

Thankfully, she wasn’t sad, but instead pretty much excited! She played for the rest of the day there, and I’m sure we will have another play session right now, after I’m done posting this.

Have a lovely Monday afternoon and evening everypawdy!

Everything · Murli the cat · Pictures

December 16, 2016 10:00am Murlis love for DIY toys and random stuff

Natascha and the Cats

20161216-09524620161216-09523220161216-09522720161216-095221-bearbeitet-1

This one is just paper strips, string and twine. She likes random paper strips, and so I made this one by just binding a couple of them together with twine and string. Of course I also attached a long line of twine to it as well, because she loves to chase it through the home when I drag it behind me while playing.

The story behind those paper strips is, that the new coffee maker needs smaller coffee filters, and now I have cut about 1,5cm off from the top of the remaining bigger filters, so they’ll fit into the new coffee maker. I thought about Murli instantly when I had the first strip of coffee filter paper in my hands and threw it over to her. She loved it right away

2016-12-20_kaffee_filter
That’s the kind of coffee filter we have, unbleached. That’s the kind you will usually see here in Austria, Germany and other european countries.

It’s random things like that, that Murli will find the most exciting to play with. Pretty much anything that is small enough to be pawed around on the floor. But she does love her play mouses! She goes crazy with them.

murli-mouses
Those are her favorite. and they are even called Murli!

I’m currently thinking about building a cat tower for her. There is enough inspiration out there. Lots of people build stuff for their kitties themselves. I think it’s pawsome, because I can build it the way she’ll love it, since I know her so well. She’ll get that one for Easter maybe

For Christmas/Catmas Murli gets something else ;-)

Btw, Murli helped with this post:

2016-12-20-1651-editpost-freecatladywordpress-com
That’s her input, after twine… I think she made a typo and meant the “W” to be a “M” but I understand, the look the same, depending from where you look lol