How To Update Your Cat's Furniture (Successfully)

Truffles received product from Smiling Paws Pets for her consideration in the aiding of this article; regardless, all content, opinions, and photos contained below remain genuine to that of the cat and writer.

Anyone who's ever been owned by a cat knows that sharing a space with a feline can be a real challenge.

As humans we're limited to the space we can claim, and therefor out furnishings are generally limited to floor space. Cats, however, understand the only limit to where they can lounge, is where they will fit. (And, even then, there are some times where this rule goes out the window.)

If your brand new laptop is warm and smooth, it's the perfect napping spot- even better if the hard drive is humming with gentle vibrations and the keyboard is exposed offering a memory-foam like experience. If that cake carrier you just pulled out for your baking project is open and in jumping height, score- brand new cat bed. And when you've just spend several hours carefully organizing your holiday figurines for seasonal display on the mantle- it's suddenly the best view in the house.

You can't blame indoor cats, really- your home is the extent of their universe and it's only natural to want to scale and explore it as much as possible over time. And, it's not like you bothered learning to speak cat, so don't expect them to understand the finer points of English instructions such as "I just spend $2k on this new computer, please don't sit on it," or "It's hard to sleep when you're giving yourself an oral bath 4 inches from my face at night."

Yes, living in a cat's world can seem complicated at times but there are ways you can slowly begin to regain some of their space as your own again. Start by selectively integrating a few key pieces of pet furniture into inconspicuous places around their home. Since most felines are quite picky convertible furniture such as the 2-In-1 Cat Cube and Bed from Smiling Paws Pets is the perfect secret weapon to lure your cat away from their favorite hiding spot in your laundry basket/suitcase/kitchen cupboard.

When I first saw the 2-In-1 Cat Cube and Bed I thought, 'Genius! A soft warm, box! May cat is going to love this!' and promptly unpacked it and presented it to Truffles.

As a special thanks Truffles promptly returned the gesture by ignoring it entirely for several days. Well, not quite ignore it- she actually spent a fair amount of time lounging in the sun, on the floor and couch around the Cat Cube, perhaps purely to taunt me.

Whatever the reason, I decided the bed had been in 'her' territory long enough to be unassuming and have gathered some of her environment's natural scent. Taking advantage of the smart '2-In'1' feature of this unique bed I pulled the plush inner pillow out, smashed the top into the bottom and 'Viola!' instant open air car bed. I quickly tossed the pillow in the middle of the bed, and scurried away before the cat was any wiser.

Jackpot!  

The very next time I walked past my living room the 2-In-1 Cat Cube from Smiling Paws Pets had been definitely claimed by my feline housemate. In fact, Truffles seemed so content with her new property discovery that she refused to move for any of the traditional 'cat calls' such as rustling bags, the refrigerator opening, or a window being opened.

Needless to say I was ecstatic the stylish denim pet bed was at last fulfilling it's intended purpose as cat furniture rather than simply decor. Thanks to it's sturdy material this bed is entirely machine washable, and the luxury sherpa pillow offers a warm and comfortable napping experience that surely is steps above my laptop keyboard.

I wanted to convert the bed back into a cube, because I was certain Truffles would enjoy 'cube mode' even more than traditional bed mode- but left the bed as it was for several days to accumulate more of that 'cat ownership scent' that would help it seem less foreign once converted. I did, however, decide once I flipped the bed back into a cube again I would pull the sherpa pillow out to allow our 9lb cat more room to comfortably stretch and 'nest' inside.

Acclimating a cat to new furniture is a process that should be done over several days, if not weeks- remember that a cat's world is relatively small and any change can seem quite big. Cats, by nature, are curious but not necessarily quick to trust. And the less fuss you express over a change the quicker they will be able to accept it on their own, as something that is normal.

While you wait for your cat to acclimate to their new bed you might want to upgrade your home decor with a stylish DIY such as our Cat Scratcher Vase tutorial. Integrating cat friendly features into existing home decor is a great way to compromise a pro-feline environment with human design flair.

I wish I could say the exact moment things turned in Truffles mind- but in all honesty how I discovered she'd 'claimed' the cube as her own was on accident. In fact I spent a good portion of time tearing up the house looking for her before thinking to look in the pet bed I'd actually bought FOR her. As they say, the rest is history, folks.

Truffles loves her 2-In-1 Cat Cube And Bed from Smiling Paws Pets so much she wakes up every morning and migrates from the foot of my bed directly to the cube. Aside from a few hours of sun bathing in the afternoon, and some loud conversations with the local birds at sunset, she spends the majority of her day curled up content in the cube.

More recently I managed to sneak the sherpa 'pillow' into the bottom, and she seems to have found the upgrade quite agreeable.

Balancing style while sharing a home with a cat can seem tricky.

No matter how awesome the furniture is you buy for your cat there will always be those days where your arm, while typing- or the empty fruit bowl on the dining table just seems more logical. Shop stylish and smart multi-purpose pet innovations online with Smiling Paws Pets (they have stuff for dogs, too!) and give your cat plenty of time to decide they brought their new favorite bed/toy/accessory into the home, not you. For more smart pet innovations for your home follow Smiling Paws Pets on Instagram and Facebook- look for their new Litter Trapper Mat to be back in stock soon!

A Feline Summer? Put Up All 4 With The @CatCrib Giveaway 6/2

***I received a sample product from Cat Crib to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are original and all images contained there in are property of Momma Told Me Blog 2013.
Momma Told Me: Who's home is this, yours or the cat's?

It has been a while since my last pet post, and for that, I am sorry. The intent has been to keep pet content to the Pet Blog, Time Out For Truffles, but the first half of this year has sufficiently kicked my blogger bum. In any case, I am happy to report I have resumed regular blogging on the Pet Blog, and all interested in such content should subscribe now for 3-4 pet related posts a week. Now, on to today's foray into animal merchandising. Any feline owner knows that one does not simply own a cat; the cat owns you. Try to argue otherwise, but when we really take a look at this human to feline relationship it's astounding there aren't more 'Crazy Cat Ladies.' At this very moment in time there is a fine layer of fur floating whimsically across my laptop keypad, and a catnip mouse beneath my feet. Don't get me wrong, we love our pup just as much as the cat; but poor 5lb Nora is no match for our 4.8lb Tuxedo cat. No, I'm not talking turf wars, I'm referring to freedom and mobility. Felines have the prowess to scale the tallest furniture, and wriggle between the most unlikely of cracks.

Some of you may recall a little post I did a month or so back about the strange pet sightings we've had in our home. The very first day we moved in I found Ms. Truffles sitting atop the kitchen counter alongside a pot. Some things are simply inevitable in our home. If there is an open box on the floor, there will be a cat in it. If you leave your laptop open long enough, without your hands at work, there will be a cat on the keyboard (and sometimes while you're typing too). And if Momma, me in this case, has a favorite spot to sit or relax, Truffles will curl up to replace her in her absence. For a while, and still from time to time, Truffles treated our printer as a daybed, lounging with all fours flailing off the sides, lazily staring out the window. The obvious solution would be to provide the cat her own designated space to look out the window; unfortunately for us, the printer is located directly next to a quite expensive cat tree. Much like toddlers, however, cats don't want what they are given; they are much too independent to be told where they should lounge!

Seating is fairly limited in our 2 bedroom condo, which makes me glad to know that Truffles will sufficiently lounge wherever. Unfortunately, when anyone takes interest in the dining room table, she immediately has to be amidst the action, and sitting on one of our four dining chairs. When I am home Truffles is usually not far away, and this can become a problem when guests arrive. I'm embarrassed to admit our furry kids have almost as much furniture as the humans, and I simply cannot invest more space for them. So, when I discovered the space saving Cat Crib I instantly wanted one for our home. This unique hammock of sorts is affordable and discreet, fitting under nearly any chair or side table (anything with 4 legs). It attaches with 4 grip lined straps that feed through buckles and Velcro to secure around each leg of your table/chair. Cats, finicky creatures by nature, tend to need small 'safe' spaces they can lounge in, while feeling safe. The hammock space can be adjusted to provide optimal privacy and support for any feline, and is entirely fuss free- it's machine washable!

The exterior of the Cat Crib is a tough and easy to clean Nylon material that comes in an assortment of design friendly colors, with a black fleece lining for comfort. Upon unpacking I immediately knew I wanted to place the Cat Crib under one of our dining chairs, though the chair base is more of a trapezoid than uniform square, and the chair's rungs are at varied heights. At first the straps kept slipping, until I realized I was not placing the buckle on the outer rim of the chair leg, and one of the straps was inside out (the rubber grip should be hugging your chair's leg). Truffles is just under 5lbs, as an adult, and on the small side of felines, so I knew instantly I needed to reread the directions when the Cat Crib was slipping with a 5lb cat! Once all of that was sorted (installation is a breeze if you read the directions properly), I knew my next chore would be gaining Truffle's interest. It's not easy guiding a cat to a new lounging location when they already have so many awesome favorites!

To introduce Truffles to the Cat Crib I placed the dining room chair by her favorite bird watching window (the porch), and slinked back into the shadows to watch. It didn't take long for her to begin sniffing and marking (rubbing her whiskers) the chair and Cat Crib, though she was hesitant at first. After a good 10 minutes of 'will she or won't she' Truffles hopped into the suspended cat hammock. She didn't waste time sprawling out in approval, her tail swaying in content over the edge. A few times I saw her eyes grow heavy, and her head dangle sleepily over the side, a cheesy "I'm chasing mice in my head" grin on her face. In all, we're very pleased with the construction and durability of this pet furniture. It's virtually undetectable with the chair pushed into our dining area, and provides Truffles a safe and quiet place to retreat when guests come over and the house get's hectic. Now, if only we could keep the dog from climbing in it!

What Daughter Says: Reclaim your space and keep your feline happy with the Cat Crib.

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