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Cats are highly physical creatures that need plenty of healthy physical
outlets.  Often, cats are adopted with the new owners not fully
appreciating the real needs of our feline friends.  It is natural for
cats to climb, stretch, scratch and pounce.  Any owner not
understanding this sets up their household for real potential problems.

The happiest cat owners are those that work in concert with their
pet's genetic predispositions.  Bringing a new kitten home and
expecting it to restrain its natural, God-given urges is a recipe for
frustration for both pet and owner alike.

Cat Trees are often made of wood and range in size from 2 to 8 eight
feet.  The 'tree limbs' are typically covered with bark, sisal or
carpet.  Although they come in many designs from Rustic to Modern, from
single piece to modular, they all have the goal of providing
'Fluffy' a safe place to romp and play.  There is typically a
scratch post or posts built in.  Some have tunnels which allow the cat
to hide.  Most have perches so that a cat can watch and observe from
on-high.  Some of the large units have cat beds for sleeping.

Many owners, frustrated with the expensive cost of their cat clawing
the furniture often purchase expensive Cat Tree apparatuses out of
desperation.  However, they many times find that their cat does not
like the Cat Tree, at least not at first (at least not for scratching).
Cats that are used to clawing the furniture often resist changing
their old habits.  There is an element of transition that needs to be
planned for to assist 'Fluffy' in making the change.

How do you wean a kitty from scratching your furniture to using the cat
tree?   One suggestion is to do something to start the scratching
instinct - pay close attention to their scratching habits during the
first few days.  Attract your cat's attention to the cat tree by
running a string with a small toy on it up and down the lower part of
the cat tree - enough to get their attention.  Praise your cat
lavishly if he catches on quickly and grabs for the toy, then starts to
scratch.  Another option is scratch with your own fingernails thereby
demonstrating the desired action.  Most important, be patient - you
cat will get the hang of it.

In summary, Cat Trees are a great tool and if used correctly, will help
to bring peace and harmony to your home for you and your kitty.  It is
my advice to shop around and try to buy an apparatus that will fit in
your home and also provide enough variety for your furry pet.

You can get more quality information is this 5-part mini-course called
Kitty Health Secrets Mini-Course - http://kittychef.com/kittyhealth