Who Won?
The winner of the $50.00 gift certificate given away at the Garden State Cat Expo, July 18-19 in Somerset NJ was:
Wendy Brenner
Congratulations!
|
Where to see
our Product
Aug 15-16, 2009
TICA Great Lakes Regional
Oconomowoc, WI
Sept 12-13, 2009
National Capital Show
Chantilly, VA
Oct 25-26, 2009
Indy Cat Club
Indianapolis, IN
Nov 20-22, 2009
Michigan Family Pet Expo
Rock Financial Showplace
Novi, MI
Nov 21-22, 2009
CFA International
Atlanta, GA
Mar 19-21, 2010
ChicagoLand Pet Expo
Arlington Race Course
Arlington Heights, IL
|
Ever wonder what your cat was really thinking?
It's not impossible to train a cat! Feline behaviorist Johnson-Bennett helps you understand the instincts that often determine feline behaviors, both positive and negative. This authoritative resource gives you the tools to understanding cat culture and what your cat is really trying to tell you. For more information and to order click here
|
|
| Greetings!
This has been a good summer and as I look at the calendar for the rest of the year trying to tweak our plans and schedules, both for business and pleasure, the fact that Christmas is just over four months away jumps right off the page. I absolutely love Christmas, both from a religious and a secular standpoint - but I don't want to rush the season. We still have a lot on our plate to get accomplished between now and then.
We are planning to participate in a few rather large cat shows in the next few months. We appreciate those of you, who have in the past stopped by our booth and shared your comments. Many of those comments have reinforced our ideas on what we would like to bring to market and many have given us great ideas to think about incorporating into our product. We hope you will continue to stop by in the future and share with us both the positive and the negative. Be sure to look at the upcoming schedule of shows in the left hand column - remember its a great way to save on shipping cost - if you can order a tree that we can bring with us to a show and you can pick it up there you save shipping.
We are always working on new product ideas but a couple that have tested positive and will be added to the website in the near future are: 1) a four by twenty-four inch sisal scratching pad that is attached to the back of the Sunflower, Black-Eyed-Susan, Purple Passion or the Tropical Flower. This will give many cats a scratching medium they are use to and the way it is mounted will be out of sight for aesthetic value. The pads are also replaceable. 2) A series of smaller floor hugging pieces of cat furniture to complement the Spider line. These are designed more for kittens and elderly felines that may have difficulty getting around. And 3) Several sisal scratching posts in various sizes that will be built to color coordinate with our cat tree furniture. We hope you are as enthused about these new products as we are, and that you will check back on the website often to keep track of our progress in making them available.
Lastly, I want to thank all the breeders who have made our Breeder Referral Program such a great success. Every week people are asking to join the program, and every week we are processing paperwork and building permission files on the website. It has been so successful that we have cloned the idea and offered a similar revenue producing opportunity to rescues and shelters. If you want to do something positive for your favorite rescue or shelter you might suggest they contact us to see how we may be able to help them in the great work they do.
As always, we are open to suggestions and encourage you to email us with any ideas or comments about our product or the content of this newsletter. We appreciate your support. Enjoy!
Tom Kartes
greatlakescatfurniture@gmail.com |
Space Saving Cat Furniture
Blends with your home decor and provides a cat playground
 The August issue of Catnip - The newsletter for caring cat owners published by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University featured our modular wall cat bed. The article presented seven space-saving cat products and quoting from the article: "While I tested a single wall-mounted cat bed, Great Lakes offers a modular system of off-the-floor cat furniture. An internal thermo-liner captures and reflects your cat's body heat to keep his bed toasty. The Wall Cat Bed measures approximately 26 inches by 13.5 inches and weights 15 pounds. Solidly built, it's made of plywood and high-density hard board, and covered with Mohawk nylon carpet. Mount it to the wall using accompanying hardware. The Wall Bed hangs on a 16-inch center (the standard distance of studs). The accompanying template makes the mounting much simpler, but you must level it. The cats love this. They haven't left it vacant since I installed it. This product earned five-paws approval. This modular system can be expanded indefinitely as your budget permits. Properly installed it should support 125 pounds. Prices range from wall-mounted shelves costing $49.00 to five-foot tall hanging cat trees costing $425.00, plus shipping when purchased directly from the manufacturer. The Wall Bed cost $89.99, plus shipping."
Treat your cat to an adventure today!
|
|
The Right Cat Tree For An Oriental Shorthair
Lively, talkative, and intelligent - constantly engaging you.
 What a fun cat to be around. The Oriental Shorthair is truly a "people cat". These cats have very colorful personalities and they enjoy your company, and even want to share their day with you as they meet you at the door when you come home. It's at moments like this you will find them most talkative because they missed you and they expect you to be attentive to what they have to say.
The Oriental Shorthair is a long, slender cat, with a sturdy build, long whippy tail and tall slender legs. On average they weigh between 9 and 12 pounds. They are "high" jumping and climbing cats and like to spend time on top of the highest objects they can climb in their environment, such as the top of the refrigerator, the tall bookcase, or the drapery rod.
Because of their inquisitive nature they love to interrupt your activity, not only to see what you are doing, but to take the opportunity to give you some advise.
The Oriental SH loves to play and as they mature this trait does not change - they remain kitten-like all their lives. They will develop an affinity to certain toys that they prefer over others and you will find them entertaining themselves for long periods of time.
TICA, in their discussion of the breed says: "In general an Oriental does not do well as an only cat. They do well with kids, other cats, dogs, and lots of activity and commotion. They love attention and like to snuggle and sleep in a heap with their buddies or under the covers with you. Orientals are wonderful for people who want an interactive and amusing pet and a true and devoted companion."
Because of their propensity to play, jump and climb, you need to provide the Oriental SH with a cat tree that will be tall with several pass throughs or cubby holes to tweak their curiosity and challenge their problem solving abilities. Enticing your cat with a feather or laser to run up and down the various levels on the tree will give both of you a great deal of enjoyment and we guarantee you will tire before the cat does.
We have several medium tall cat trees on our website that are perfect for the energetic, fun-loving, Oriental. We suggest at minimum a four foot tree providing at least three levels the cat can climb and giving them at least one pass-through and two cubby holes in which to play. Larger cat trees are also available and are more suitable for multi-cat households.
If you order today we can have your new cat tree delivered in about two weeks.
Best cat tree choices for other breeds:
Abyssinian
Bengal
Birman
Persian
Korat
Ragdoll
|
Can A Cat With The "Wild" Gene Be Happy Indoors?
From the "wild" to a sedentary lifestyle
 Looking at the domestic cat today we can still see many of the features and behaviors of their wild ancestry. Both domestic cats and the "big cats" found in zoos and the wild are descendants on the same branch of the family tree.
Our modern domestic cat is thought to be a descendant of the African Wild Cat, also known as the Desert Cat, which appears to have their origins in other subspecies as much as 131,000 years ago. Some members on this family tree were first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and have a direct line to today's domestic cat.
All cats have certain physical and psychological needs. Whether the cat is an "indoor" cat or an "outdoor" cat, they spend the bulk of their time sleeping, grooming, hunting, scratching and observing the world.
Recent studies by cat experts have come to the conclusion that cats can be happy with an indoor lifestyle as long as their basic inherited needs are met. For example: A cat needs to hunt. This hunting activity can be simulated indoors by providing toys and engaging in interactive play activities that mimic the hunt. Cats also find a feeling of security in high places from which they can observe the world around them. By providing a tall cat tree that allows your cat a position above its normal environment you will satisfy the security need. And finally, furnishing a scratching post is very important because again, its a basic need - cats have to scratch for two main reasons: 1) to shape and sharpen their claws and 2) to mark their territory with pheromones that are produced by glands in their paws.
If you follow these simple guidelines you can provide for the basic "wild" needs of your cat and ensure your cat will be just as happy, and a lot more secure, on the inside.
|
|
Cody's Corner
Miscellaneous Kibble
 - "Cats, by our very nature, don't like to let anyone know we're sick. Often we're so good at hiding the fact that by the time it is discovered we need professional help. Unfortunately this can also mean that by the time our poor health is discovered it will be more difficult and expensive to treat the problem. This is one reason that you as our best friend are encouraged to routinely examine us and follow all the recommendations of your vet. Here is a list of signs published by The Morris Foundation that will help you know when we may not be feeling well: - Changes is chewing, eating and drinking habits - Drastic weight gain or loss - Withdrawal from social interaction or avoids touching - Changes in activity levels including sleeping more or hyperactivity - Increased vocalization - Increased urination and/or "accidents" - Inability to urinate (emergency situation) - Grooming less or grooming certain areas excessively - Act out of character It's recommended that if your cat shows any of these signs you should contact your veterinarian. Help keep us healthy." - According to the American Bureau of Waste Management, approximately 8 billion pounds of cat litter wind up in landfills each year. That's billion with a "B" - wow, that's a heap! - "Cats regard people as warmblooded furniture" Jacquelyn Michard | |
|
|
|
|
|
