Imperial Cat Scratch ‘n Shapes Review
July 19, 2010 by Paris Permenter and John Bigley
Filed under Our Reviews
Product: Imperial Cat Scratch ‘n Shapes
What It Is: Cat scratching pad
Manufacturer: Arkansas-based Imperial Cat; made in USA
Dogtipper Review: Cats are creatures of habit, always following their instincts throughout their daily routines. Even indoor cats, like our four, are closely attuned to natural rhythms which dictate when they want to be fed, play, take their morning naps, visit the litter box, take their afternoon naps, eat some more, you get the idea. Unfortunately, some of those instincts can be a bit hard on their surroundings, such as their predisposition to sharpen their claws on the furniture. Our cat Inca, for example, greets us each morning by routing some new grooves in the woodwork around the bedroom closet door. Inca is really a sweet cat, and she knows we don’t like her scratching on the door facing; she just can’t help herself.
So, we were glad to try out a product promising to provide an alternative scratch pad for Inca and her cat buddies. Imperial Cat Scratch ‘n Shapes are scratch pads made of heavy-duty corrugated cardboard and come in whimsical shapes such as couches, iguanas, caterpillars, butterflies, and many others. Our Scratch ‘n Shape came in the form of a dachshund and measured 20″ long and 9″ wide, plenty big for any of our cats.
According to the company, the honeycombed layers of corrugated cardboard mimics the texture of tree bark to appeal to those feline instincts. (They’re also made from post consumer recycled materials and are 100% recyclable.)
And, they include a secret weapon to increase the pad’s appeal: each one is shipped with a packet of organic catnip to spark interest. Sounds like a slam dunk to us, but could it entice Inca to change her ways?
Following the manufacturer’s instructions, we sprinkled a little of the magic herb on top of the pad and positioned it next to the long-suffering doorway and waited. We didn’t have to wait long; all four of our cats were soon sniffing, rolling, and sizing it up. They were definitely interested. Now, would they recognize the scratch pad’s intended purpose? It took a few minutes, but eventually Coco, our most fearless feline stepped up and gave it a good scratch while the others looked on. After that, it was a regular scratch fest as they all took turns scratching. Looks like we have a winner here…a big paws up!
Now, where did we put that touch-up paint?
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Product Disclosure: We received one or more of the products mentioned above for free. We only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers.
About Paris Permenter and John Bigley
DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.
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