myKotty Quality, cat style? In a purrfect kitty kingdom what matters is not just function and fun, but also durability, stability and safety – a true CATnesseur will recognise the best products from far away! At myKotty we know it all too well, always investing our time and ideas into the best quality scratchers, cat houses, pillows, cat beds and toys. Why is it so important? What should get your attention while shopping fabCATstic furniture and toys? Sit comfortably and find out with us.
Quality and safety of cat products
First – quality of cat furniture, toys and gadgets correlates directly with the safety of our furry friends. You can, obviously, find big, elaborate cat castles and scratchers on AliExpress with a great price tag, but is it really worth it? Is the rope that will be shredded by cat’s claws and the questionable stability of the structure worth the long waiting time, unboxing and a huge chance your cat will be completely indifferent to the thing? Speaking from experience, we know that even with the best quality tall scratchers you have to make sure they’re purrfectly assembled – a shaky and unstable tower won’t be appealing to any cat and can turn out completely unsafe and unusable.
Regarding quality, we should pay attention to the materials used for any toys, beds, scratchers, bowls, litter boxes and anything else used by your kitty every day. Let’s imagine a happy cat attacking with passion his favourite KungFu Cat Toy kicker. If we didn’t take care of firm stitching, durable outer material and some heavy-duty work on tightening the leather straps in the back, a smart house tiger would bite through the toy in less than a few days or even minutes (believe us, it’s a common occurrence with some questionable quality toys). Here, at myKotty, we want your kitties to enjoy every product for as long as possible. Therefore, our toys are durable and any element sticking out (like the straps on the back of the KungFu toy) are attached in the way that your cat can’t just rip them out and swallow as a tasty spaghetti soaked in catnip.
Cat safe materials
Staying on the topic of materials for a while longer, while choosing the purrfect cat products it’s worth looking closer into what our kitties are actually coming in contact with. Those of questionable quality are often made out of untested blends of plastic or cardboard soaked with chemicals (for example to get a quaint colour or a scent attractive to cats). For the kitty’s health sake, it’s not worth the risk – we don’t want to see a cat rubbing against the scratcher and feel unwell afterwards, and we don’t know what actually caused it. It’s even more dangerous if we take into account that a cat’s fur is in contact with the scratcher or a cat bed all the time and it’s being licked by the cat, making them only a step away from dangerous poisoning. What should we check while buying (and making) cat products?
In the case of scratchers, cat houses and any products that require glueing, it’s always worth checking if the glue that the manufacturer uses has necessary tests and is safe for animals and hoomans. If they’re additionally made with cardboard (like myKotty scratchers and cat houses), the cardboard shouldn’t be soaked with any chemicals. Most problematic of all are the artificial scents of catnip, which usually has nothing to do with the actual plant, as well as bleach and dye used to colour the cardboard. The issue of dyeing is also important when it comes to cat beds and some cat toys from cotton or other, artificial fabric – dyes used to make prints or colour the entire material should be health-safe and free of toxic substances.
To end things off, let’s take a look at cat bowls that have been dividing the community of cat experts and Carers for a while now. The cheap ones that are available in pet stores in multiple colours, shapes and sizes are usually made out of plastic. It’s easy-to-use material, but it’s not always a safe option. Even small scratches on the surface that may show up after cleaning the bowl or putting food in are a perfect place for bacteria growth – a scratched plastic cat bowl is practically garbage. What’s worse, the cheapest plastic usually doesn’t have all necessary tests to confirm its safe and free of toxins (e.g. BPA). If you choose fabTastic, plastic bowls, stick to the ones with a “BPA free” certificate or, for your own comfort and your kitty’s safety, think about switching to more durable and safer ceramic or glass plates and bowls.
What to look out for when choosing cat products?
Quality, safety, what else? We consulted on the matter with behaviourists and checked what should actually peak a fabCat’s attention while shopping for products for cats. On our checklist, we gathered some of the most important points, with some being useful in more than one category of products. Without further ado – when choosing cat furniture, toys and accessories, we should definitely check:
- durability – we don’t want them to fall apart after first use. We design and manufacture our myKotty scratchers using double-sided product patterns to make them last as long as possible.
- stability – in the case of cat scratchers and some cat beds, stability is key not only for safety reasons, but for the comfort of the cat as well. What’s the point of a scratcher if a cat can’t firmly dig his claws into, stretch out and hone the claws? Or a cat tower with a top that no cat wants to climb onto in the fear of everything falling over? myKotty scratches remain stable enough for hoomans to sit on without accidents (although it’s only the VIGO scratcher, the rest of them can face serious injuries or death when faced with a hooman-size weight),
- no harmful elements and materials – to all the dangling feathers on scratching towers, loosely attached strings or decorative sequins and buttons which could be easily chewed off and swallowed by a cat, we’re saying a hard NO!,
- multipurpose – not all products have to be used multiple ways, but if a scratcher or a cardboard house can become a scratcher, a playground and a comfortable sleeping spot at the same time, we’re totally FOR it! Cats get double joy and you save money.
- easy cleaning – regular de-fluffing and washing of the outer material of a cat bed is as necessary as washing the litter box, cat bowls or brushing the dust off the roof of the MIA cat house (if there is any, as some cats love using both the interior and exterior of the house). The sturdier and easier to clean the material is, the easier it is to keep it hygenic without the risk of ruining your cat’s furniture. Even our scratchers can be cleaned out, either with a hoover (for the scratching surface) or a damp cloth (for the fronts),
- ecology – as cat Carers we already generate a lot of garbage in the form of tin cans and litter. Cat furniture doesn’t have to become another part of the problem. Safety of the environment is a matter close to our hearts, which is why at myKotty we’re sticking to the natural corrugated cardboard and cotton and you, our dear fabCats, we recommend the same, eco-friendly materials when shopping for cat accessories.
The topic of why it’s worth investing in safe and eco-friendly cat products was previously mentioned on our blog, so for all of you curious fabCats, we’re leaving a handy link below.
FabCat expert opinions speak for themselves
To sum things up, we hand over the baton to you, dear fabCats. Your opinions are the best proof of how important it’s for you to invest your hard earned money into QUALITY and products that will stand the test of time (and cat claws!). The word “quality” is actually one of the most used words in your comments. Seeing our furniture, so loved by your furry friends and going on strong even with intensive use for a few years is the fluff to our heart and a confirmation to the fact that making the best quality products is a thing always worth working on. Quality has its price, but besides the comfort and safety of your kitties, you’re also buying a feature important to your house budget – cost saving. One cat scratcher that survives two years instead of one that gets you through no more than two weeks of intensive use? Sounds great, doesn’t it? 🙂
How often do you invest in new cat furnishings, dear fabCats? Are you more inclined to buy purrfect, high quality products, or maybe the cheaper stuff, being fully aware it has to be replaced more frequently? We’re waiting for your the comments below and on social media, where you can tag us with # myKotty and show us your kitties using our products. You may even make it into our “PAWSOME STORIES” on Facebook and Instagram. Have a great week!
