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Bengal Cat Forums • View topic - Getting the right scratching material/apparatus
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 11:44 pm 
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Bengal Kitten

Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:32 am
Posts: 7
Last week I introduced my beautiful new 4 year old ex-queen Bengal. As a first time cat owner it has been a steep learning curve! Eleanor is coming out of her shell and being more and more friendly. Head butting my hand is a favourite, plus lots of purring. She also often licks me a bit like a dog might and likes lying behind my head on the back of the settee. Her climbing behaviour is becoming more obvious but she still isn't too vocal except at meal times. One of her best points is that she doesn't disturb me at all at night, unlike some other Bengals I've read about on here!

Regards a cat tree/scratching post - I have given this a lot of thought. From my observations of her behaviour here and the piece of carpet her owner gave me to bring with her I have deduced she is a "horizontal" scratcher. I never knew there were cats who preferred horizontal and vertical scratching and of course a few who like both. A lot of people recommended the plentiful corrugated cardboard scratchers so I bought one but not a flicker of interest, even when sprinkled with catnip and bits of treats pushed into the holes! After much work on the net I have decided her favourite material is probably sisal but not the sisal rope on most cat trees. So I have no ordered him two cat mats made of sisal fabric plus this post https://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp ... f_id=70098 It's a good height for stretching and has sisal fabric plus ball play - hope she likes it!


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 4:22 pm 
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Asian Leopard Cat

Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm
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My bengal prefers horizontal scratchers and my moggie prefers the vertical ones on the cat trees. Personal preference -- and the vertical scratcher you got is a nice one. However, you may find you need more than just one. We have two cat trees (each leg is a scratcher) and three horizontal scratchers. You can NEVER have enough scratchers. But, don't count Eleanor out as not wanting to climb. She just may not be used to it. Get her a cat tree and she may jump up on it before you've had the time to finish putting it together. The good ones come with sisal legs for scratching. Thankfully, the cardboard scratchers are really inexpensive, so you didn't waste a lot of money. I am so happy to hear she has settled in.


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:02 pm 
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Bengal Kitten

Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:32 am
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Well I only have the one cat and the tiniest ever 1 bedroom bungalow. I haven't really got space for a lot of climbing equipment like those fancy cat trees but I have thought of putting climbing shelves on the walls. At the moment I am changing the bedroom slightly so that if she felt inspired to do so she could easily jump from the ottoman to the top of a small cupboard and thence to the top of the wardrobe. I think she attempted this one day when I was out as my photos had all gone flying!

I am hoping she takes to the post because it's got a heavy sizeable base but is then quite slender. I haven't had to buy her a cat bed as on her first day she discovered a little area within my settee which is covered by a flap of leather and she goes in there mostly. I'm going to place the post where she comes out of as that's when she often wants to stretch and scratch. I have a mat she's taken to in the hall anyway, and the two sisal mats I've bought can go wherever needed, probably one in the bedroom, plus I have the carpet her owners gave me. I've also thought of buying a large sisal mat for the kitchen floor and that's my house full up!

I'm attaching a photo of Eleanor for those who didn't see my intro post.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 2:39 pm 
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Asian Leopard Cat

Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm
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Pretty, pretty Eleanor! If you don't want to install climbing shelves, you can get some milk crates or stackable bins for her to climb and have them like stairs. The good thing is that the open side becomes a place for storage -- or an open bed for Eleanor and she will probably like laying on the top bin the best. :biggrin:


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:52 pm 
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Bengal Kitten

Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:32 am
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Well, well Eleanor is full of surprises! Just came out of her "den" and had a really long scratch on the cardboard scratcher she's ignored for days! Now I'm just hoping she takes to all the sisal stuff I've ordered! The reason I thought of the shelves Sherry is that basically there is no spare floor space for anything else!


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 2:24 pm 
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Asian Leopard Cat

Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm
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Climbing shelves are great, but they can be expensive. And they have to be attached to a wall and if you are renting your home, you may not be allowed to do that. Eleanor knows she needs to get her claws all sharp and pretty. I know she will use the sisal rope scratcher. They love them!


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:01 pm 
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Bengal Kitten

Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:32 am
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Hi again and thanks for your reply Sherry. Well fortunately climbing shelves of any kind are no longer required as my clever Eleanor worked out that my alterations of the bedroom layout had made a splendid cat tree and she wasted no time climbing up there and finding the fleece on top of the wardrobe!

The sisal stretch and scratch post also arrived today - so far no interest but I've sprayed it with catnip and put some treats in the base so sometime she'll investigate I'm sure. The only other things is not her fault but she likes to lie on the back of the settee and knead it with her paws - those sharp little claw tips keep catching and I haven't got the confidence yet to just pick her up and cut them myself so I think it will be a trip to the vets.

I'm sure I'm not alone in getting a little "precious" about our breed? I was watching an otherwise very funny programme called "Kittens make you laugh out loud" (and they did) but I was incensed when a Bengal kitten was up to some mischief and the narrator called it "the tabby kitten"!!


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 4:50 pm 
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Asian Leopard Cat

Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm
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You can't have too many high climbing shelves for any bengal, but happy Eleanor has found something that she likes. She will continue to explore. And give her time on the scratchers! Many cats take to them immediately, but some take a little time. I get what you mean about the claws. I have a moggie who enjoys time on my lap, but he kneads me like crazy and I don't always have time to grab something to put on my lap. For the time being, I'd put a throw over the back of the settee until Eleanor gets used to the scratching posts. I don't trim my bengal's nails and never have, although whenever he has something done at the vet's office, they do trim them for me -- I don't like it because now if he gets outside (which he does occasionally), he has no defense against anything and can't climb up a tree.

Bengals are definitely a unique breed of cat. You need to have the energy and stamina to keep up with them and I lost that many years ago. :biggrin:


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:25 pm 
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Bengal Kitten

Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:32 am
Posts: 7
Oh right, about the claws - I thought it was ok just to trim off the little hook bits on the end? Surely that would leave her with enough claw to still defend herself or climb trees? I had thought about using a throw on the back of the settee. I forgot to say that the sisal mats are a great success - she couldn't wait to start scratching so one of them is now being tacked down sit next to the fleece on top of the wardrobe because I noticed she likes to stretch there.

So far the sisal covered post has not been a great hit but just now she had a little scratch on it after watching me pretend to scratch it. The only problem I have is that she makes quite a noise getting up to the wardrobe so I am not sleeping very well, but the only time she has cried at night was once when I had shut the door. The instant I let her in she was quiet until I got up. I must say she is very good about that - I tend to be a late riser but she never hassles me even when I get up in the night to use the loo and go back to bed. I too lost my energy and stamina some years ago which is one reason I didn't want a kitten! I wouldn't say Eleanor is too demanding on the energy front, though she likes to play and sometimes has a mad half hour in the evening when she rushes from room to room like a demented cat - it's so funny to watch!


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 3:50 pm 
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Asian Leopard Cat

Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm
Posts: 9217
There is nothing wrong with just clipping the sharp ends of the nails. My vet trims them as far back as they can without actually declawing Raiden! It takes forever for him to get them sharpened back up. The trick is whether the cat will allow you to trim the nails, period! Most cats do not like this at all.

Things are still new with Eleanor, so just give her time! I would hate to think that her only climbing apparatus is your wardrobe. She honestly needs something else as well. Even if you prepare a bed for her on top of a piece of furniture. Mine has THREE cat trees, although one is just 36" high. He also has cat beds on the ottoman in the living room, in the bedroom on a spare bed. He uses them all. Eleanor obviously loves being higher up in the air, as all bengals do .... so make sure she has some options. Cats rarely sleep in the same spot over and over again. They choose where they want to nap.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:00 am 
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Bengal Kitten

Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:32 am
Posts: 7
Eleanor has several places she likes sleeping not just the "cat tree" I have made out of furniture in the bedroom. She loves the top of the sofa and her special "den" at the back of the sofa also the top of a wicker basket in my wardrobe where she can be hidden by the clothes. She likes climbing on the window sills and watching the world go by and also has a scratching post 3' tall that she can sit on top of. That has to be enough I'm afraid as she (we) live in a tiny house - anyway, she seems happy enough.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:51 pm 
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Asian Leopard Cat

Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm
Posts: 9217
Sounds like Eleanor would love to have a cat seat that fits on the window sill so she can lay down and enjoy the view. I have two of them (although one won't stay attached any longer). You can find them online and at any pet store! Bengals love be high up and off the floor. My regular kitty loves sleeping on the floor. Raiden has to be up on something.


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