Natural Scratch

Astronomy Presentation To Brownies

2012-01-31T06:50:00.000-06:00

Off and on for some years now, I have been the Sidewalk Astronomer in residence at the Brookfield Public Library here in our suburb. About once per month during the warmer seasons here in America's Dairyland, I use my 8" Celestron telescope to show library patrons Jupiter, the Moon, the Sun, and other objects.

Occasionally I am asked to give talks, and tomorrow afternoon I will be giving a PowerPoint presentation I call "Wonders of the Sky" to a troop of Brownies at a local elementary school.

These outings are a lot of fun. I try to show people things that those who follow astronomy see fairly regularly but others rarely or never do. Some of the videos and slides I have in my talk came to my attention at the amazing Astronomy Picture of the Day site. Two NASA scientists administer it and always come up with something interesting. Have a look at: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Weight Loss Plan

2012-01-25T15:37:00.000-06:00

After I quit smoking in 2003, I gained some weight in a hopeless attempt to reduce the cravings I had for nicotine. Those cravings persisted strongly for two full years but then went away. Now I never think about smoking.

About four months ago I decided to lose the weight I gained and went on a simple plan--not a diet. A young woman I once worked with told me "diets don't work."

She meant that diets are a finite effort--they begin and end.

What works is simply changing how much one eats and how much one exercises.

I coined an acronym for my approach: ELEM. It stands for "eat less, excercise more" and it's working great.

Back in college a phy-ed teacher told a class I was in something I've never forgotten: "There is nothing mysterious about losing weight; all you need do is burn more calories than you consume." Simple and effective.

Owl Spotted In Brookfield

2012-01-17T07:50:00.002-06:00

We've lived in Brookfield, a suburb about five miles west of Milwaukee, since 1990. When we first moved here, a dead oak stood outside the master bedroom window and sometimes at night we'd hear an owl hooting, we thought, from a perch on its branches.

Ultimately, we cut most of the oak down but left about 10 feet of trunk that we built a sandbox-playground around. We continued to hear owls hooting but they didn't sound as close.

Early last Sunday morning, my wife came to my office and said she could hear an owl hooting and it sounded close. I went back to the bedroom with her which is at the opposite end of the house and the hooting was loud.

I quietly walked outside and stood in our driveway which is also at the opposite end of the house. After about five minutes, I spotted the owl standing at the very top of one of the towering pines that is just outside our master bedroom. It was a huge bird with a thick body; I don't know what type, but given its size it might have been a great horned owl which are said to be common in this area.

The owl continued hooting and sometimes, in the distance, another owl would hoot back.

My wife soon came out and joined me, and we watched this magnificent (though surely malevolent, too) animal for a while longer before it leaped into the air and glided off to the north.

Cat-Scratch Training

2012-01-09T07:27:00.000-06:00

Training a cat to claw where you want her or him to and nowhere else is quite a satisfying accomplishment. With many cats, it happens quickly because, for whatever reason, they are able to understand that Natural Scratch is just for them and is the one place they can scratch with abandon and with the hearty approval of their human companions.

I don't think coming to this realization is a matter of intelligence. Two of our three current cats--Twinkles and Gemini--were immediate Natural Scratch clawers and haven't scratched anything else in years. The third, Leo, is probably smarter than the other two but he was harder to train.

It wasn't because he didn't understand what Natural Scratch was for or that he didn't like clawing it. What bugged him was being restricted to just one approved target. Leo wanted to scratch anywhere, anytime. To him, Natural Scratch was fine but so was the corner of the futon.

Nevertheless, through a combination of rewards for clawing Natural Scratch and negative conditioning--cat jail--for targeting anything else, we were able to train his bad scratching habits out of him. If you have a cat like Leo, Natural Scratch and its easy-to-use training method is just what the doctor ordered. Please visit naturalscratch.com.

MIld Winter

2012-01-06T12:53:00.000-06:00

Along with rolling steadily toward summer, winter here in Wisconsin so far has not produced a sub-zero day or a sizable snowstorm. It's a nice change. Usually by now we've had several heavy snowfalls and six to 12 inches or more snow on the ground. Not this year.

Today, in fact, it is 47 degrees and it feels like late March.

Predictions are that the weather will remain mild for the next week or so. Good!

On The Way To Summer

2011-12-28T07:36:00.000-06:00

Now that we're past December solstice in America, everyone can be happy that our slow journey back to longer daylight and warmer weather has begun.

Wisconsin has so far enjoyed a mild winter--no temperature below 0 and only one dusting of snow. When our son, Troy, was born in November 1983, the cold and snow were so severe we couldn't take him to see my mother in Janesville, 75 miles away until late January when it warmed some.

Last winter had an abundance of snow, too. Maybe it will miss us this year.

Two New Ways To Repel Cats From Things They Shouldn't Scratch

2011-12-15T07:54:00.000-06:00

Several years ago I came upon two new-to-me ways of dissuading cats from clawing things in the home that are off limits. Thought I should pass them on. These were posted by experienced cat people on the Internet

1. To keep dogs and cats from furniture and such, use Vicks Vapor Rub. They hate this smell.

2. Spray the area that your cat is scratching with inexpensive perfume. It will stop immediately as they do not like the taste when licking their paws. I have been using this for 35 years and have not found a cat yet that continued to scratch my furniture. I hope this helps you, too.

Like humans, a cat tends to stay with something that pleases it. This means that if your cat has developed a bad scratching habit--clawing a couch for example--you will have to work with her or him to bread the habit. The above suggestions might help.

Redesigned Website

2011-12-05T06:36:00.000-06:00

Finally have completed modifications to make my website--I hope--easier to navigate and more interesting.

Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com.

I am now using the HTML editor Kompozer and find it effective and relatively easy to understand.

Hope this effort helps put more Natural Scratch posts in the claws of cats around the world.

Daylight Portion Of Each 24 Hours Grows Shorter In Wisconsin

2011-11-30T06:28:00.001-06:00

It's approaching 6:30 a.m. as I write this and it's still pitch black outside. We are off daylight savings time. The Sun won't rise according to the US Naval Observatory website until 7:03 a.m. and it will set at 4:19 p.m.

This is quite a contrast to conditions on summer solstice during the third week of June when it is already getting light by 4:30 a.m. here in America's Dairyland and the sky remains light until after 8:00 p.m.

In about three weeks we will be at winter solstice which will give us the least daylight during its 24 hours but also marks the beginning of the march toward summer solstice and the return of long Sun visibility above the horizon.

Everything is just the opposite in the southern hemisphere where residents are enjoying lengthening days are they move toward summer solstice.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2011-11-23T08:22:00.000-06:00

Giving Thanks For Rational Human Thought

____________________________________

We thank you rational human thought

For the benefits of your uncountable products

For the smiling babies your medicines have saved

For the relief of pain provided by your analgesics

For your efficacious treatment of disease

And for tripling life expectancy since the Dark Ages.

We thank you rational human thought

For feeding billions of our kind

For warning of storms, eruptions, and other calamities

For the shelters you have designed and built

For heating in winter and cooling in summer

And for transporting our species even to the moon.

We thank you rational human thought

For magnifying every sense bestowed upon us by nature

For unraveling the mysteries of the universe

For your appreciation of infinity within and without

For helping us express ourselves in love

And for your war against superstition.

We thank you rational human thought

And hope you will continually improve

Our ability to use your products wisely.

____________________________________

Wild In the 'Burbs

2011-11-17T16:06:00.002-06:00

This was the view out my office window last week. Three does munching on Pam's roses. (Click for a larger image.)

Brookfield, which is about ten miles west of Lake Michigan, has an abundance of creatures such as deer, coyotes, foxes, hawks, and turkeys...

They are fun to see but sadly no match for the cars and trucks that outnumber them greatly.

Cat Scratch Training

2011-11-14T07:26:00.000-06:00

Training a cat to claw where you want her or him to and nowhere else is quite a satisfying accomplishment. With many cats, it happens very quickly because, for whatever reason, they are able to understand that Natural Scratch is just for them and is the one place they can scratch with abandon and with the hearty approval of their human companions.

I don't think coming to this realization is a matter of intelligence. Two of our three current cats--Twinkles and Gemini--were immediate Natural Scratch clawers and haven't scratched anything else in years. The third, Leo, is probably smarter than the other two but he was harder to train.

It wasn't because he didn't understand what Natural Scratch was for or that he didn't like clawing it. What bugged him was being restricted to just one approved target. Leo wanted to scratch anywhere, anytime. To him, Natural Scratch was fine but so was the corner of the futon.

Nevertheless, through a combination of rewards for clawing Natural Scratch and negative conditioning--cat jail--for targeting anything else, we were able to train his bad scratching habits out of him. If you have a cat like Leo, Natural Scratch and its easy-to-use training method is just what the doctor ordered.

Citizen Kane

2011-11-07T13:05:00.000-06:00

Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee, has an old movie theater named Rosebud that sometimes plays classic movies such as *Casablanca* and *The Wizard of Oz*. Yesterday, it played *Citizen Kane*, the film that gave it its name.

I've seen it before but never on a standard-size movie screen. It's a great movie, certainly among the top 50 ever made.

It always hits home because as a grade schooler, I lived not even a block from the best sledding, tobogganing, and skiing hill in my hometown.

With many friends, I spent just about every winter Saturday and Sunday there for years and had no end of fun.

At death's door, Kane couldn't find anything more memorable to think about than simple boyhood times on a snowy slope.

Cat Scratch Posts And Other Good Things

2011-11-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

Please visit naturalscratch.com for an array of products designed to help you redirect your cat's or cats' natural need to exercise and sharpen their claws.

These posts, planks, and slabs have helped many cat lovers and they can you, too.

My website features more than 100 testimonial comments from happy customers and each one makes my heart "soar like a hawk" to borrow a line from the Dustin Hoffman movie Little Big Man.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

2011-10-24T06:43:00.000-05:00

Where a website ranks on Google and other search engines has a major impact on how many people visit.

Over the years, I have tried various companies to improve Natural Scratch's ranking but can't say anything worked all that well.

Now my host company, hostmonster.com, is offering an optimization service so I am going to give it a try.

I've had various host companies over the years but none in the same league with hostmonster.com It's the best by far.

Hope it works out.

Harbingers Of Winter

2011-10-17T10:36:00.000-05:00

This morning, October 17, I saw the first junco of the fall-winter season. This friendly species is associated with the coming of colder weather and snow; it is nicknamed the snowbird.

One landed on the deck around 7:00 a.m.

Junco

http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/2004/oct04/junco.htm

More will follow and soon the area around our feeder will have regular junco visitors. They tend to eat whatever falls out of the feeder rather than landing on it.

Next spring they will in turn announce the coming summer when they disappear from Southeastern Wisconsin until the following autumn.

Many Posts, Planks, And A Slab

2011-10-11T06:39:00.000-05:00

No two cats are alike and our different feline buddies have different preferences when it comes to scratching.

After starting with a 32" white cedar post almost 20 years ago, roygbivdesignsLLC has steadily added to the product line to meet the needs of different cats.

Now there are cork posts in two heights, a sisal-wrapped post, three cedar planks, and a cork slab.

All are accompanied by a training method that teaches people how to train their cats to claw a Natural Scratch product and nothing else. And each one is guaranteed.

Please have a look at www.naturalscratch.com

Solving Cat Scratching Problems

2011-09-21T15:44:00.001-05:00

Cat claws are marvels of nature, but they can be troublesome if a cat takes to destroying the furniture or woodwork. Some owners resort to declawing which is a radical solution to say the least. Its impact on cats is negative enough that some places have banned it outright.

Training a cat to scratch where you want it to is a much better approach and it isn't that hard.

All it takes is an easy-to-follow training method, a suitable post, consistency, and patience. The first two are available with Natural Scratch. You supply the second two and soon you'll have a trained cat. Cool.

Seconds Now Available

2011-08-30T06:12:00.000-05:00

When Natural Scratch is produced, there are always some posts that do not meet requirements in terms of appearance. This might be due to graying from exposure to the elements after cutting at the mill, blemishes, or other flaws.

Such posts are set aside and I sell them as seconds. Cats claw these seconds just as enthusiastically as they do firsts but the appearance of seconds might seem less finished to humans.

Seconds have all the features of normal Natural Scratch posts, including the training booklet.

If you're looking to save a few bucks, these are the cat's meow. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/buysecond.html

Orion On The Horizon

2011-08-12T08:28:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year--the dog days of summer when the dog star (Sirius) and Orion the Hunter again rise in the eastern morning sky.

They are harbingers of the winter months to come.

Now they are visible just before dawn but in January they will be at the zenith of the sky in the early evening as Earth continues its billions years old voyage around the Sun.

Then the summer constellations and stars will be impossible to see. But, when they rise in the east in the minutes before dawn, summer again will be heading our way.

Cactus Flower August 2011

2011-08-03T15:17:00.001-05:00

The post below is about the flower my cactus produced last summer. There are several pictures. Here is this year's flower. It bloomed on about the same day in August but only lasted about 12 hours before it closed and started to droop.

Click for a larger view.

* * *

My brother Bob gave me a cactus that is the offspring of one he received way back when from our Aunt Lily and Uncle Earl.

It produced a flower in 2009 at two separate times, so I knew what to look for this year and sure enough, a stalk appeared about two weeks ago and grew steadily.

The pictures below were taken over five days.

Most of the year, the cactus does nothing and seems to need nothing but a little water.

But, then, a few days of growth, 24 hours of glory, and...dissolution.

Click on the photos for larger views.

The End.

Rain At Last

2011-07-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

It's finally raining today in Southeastern Wisconsin after a full month of all but dry skies. In those parched 30 days, we had just about 1/4" of rain.

Having spent my entire life in America's Dairyland, I've seen other dry years and the havoc they wreak on life of all kinds.

With normal amounts of precipitation, Wisconsin is a lush and almost tropical paradise during the warm months of May, June, July, August, September, and often even October. Things start cooling down in November.

Water falling from the sky is a deceptively simple phenomenon...it's best not to take it for granted or to complain about recreational activities ruined by unexpected showers.

I'm happy for every drop.

2011-07-15T07:19:00.001-05:00

When we purchased our current home, mowing the lawn took about 4.5 hours. I've always used a self-propelled, walk-behind mower because I like to get some exercise in the process.

Nevertheless, 4.5 hours was too big of a time commitment.

I talked it over with my wife, and we decided it would be good to return a large part of the lawn to a more natural state. Goal was to remove the sod and put in wildflowers. The area we picked was on a slope so it wasn't usable as lawn anyway.

Next, I called City Hall and was told that as long as no neighbor objected, it was okay with municipal ordinances. Just to be sure, I visited every neighbor who would be able to see the area and asked if he or she minded. None did.

Wild Area Wide View

I left a barrier of about six feet of mowed grass--a collar--around what we came to call the "Wild Area" and hired a man with a small tractor to remove the sod. He also supplied some boulders. We hauled the sod to the recycling center ourselves, and it took many trips but finally we were ready to spread Meadow In A Can seed. I would have preferred wildflower seeds from our specific area--Waukesha County, Wisconsin--but the price was high, about $1,500 for the amount we needed.

Now about 20 years later, our Wild Area looks natural and attracts a lot of birds, small mammals, and insects. Bees and butterflies love it. One day I even saw a fox under the evergreens.

The martin house has only attracted sparrows...but they seem like a happy bunch and have never complained that it isn't a true sparrow house.

Neighbors haven't complained either, and we've received some nice comments from people.

Click on either of the accompanying photos for a larger image.

Wild Area Close View

Many Scratching Targets From Natural Scratch

2011-07-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

Visit www.naturalscratch.com for many different scratching posts and planks and a slab.

From the original white cedar Natural Scratch to cork posts in 24- and 32-inch sizes and including a new, sisal-clad model.

There are also three different types of cedar planks and one cork slab if your cat likes to scratch a horizontal surface.

Each one comes with a easy-to-follow and use training booklet that makes training your cat to claw what you want it to and nothing else straightforward and achievable. Cats do want to please their human companions, but need to be trained what to do.

Please visit www.naturalscratch.com for more information.

Amazing Customer

2011-06-27T07:56:00.000-05:00

Every customer is wonderful naturally but some go beyond that to *amazing*.

A lady in California who has ordered a number of posts for herself and at least one relative has beautiful handwriting. I noticed this some years ago when she sent a video to me. The address label with my name, etc. was a work of art that I framed and still have on display.

After she ordered a cork post recently, she liked it to the point that she sent some tasty preserves and sweetbreads in return. Very kind of her. She also sent a note about the Cork Natural Scratch that I scanned and put on my Web site at http://www.naturalscratch.com/jttCA.html.

Have a look, JanYce is amazing.

Writer And Cat-Scratching Post Designer

2011-06-20T08:28:00.000-05:00

Way before I designed and began marketing Natural Scratch, I was a writer and in fact my primary income since 1984 has resulted from freelance work.

In recent years, I have begun writing feature pieces and have been fortunate enough to have several published. Please see schaarcommunications.com for samples.

Recently, I completed a story about clever songs that I titled simply "Witty Songs."

Twenty-one are featured and each one includes a video or mp3 files of the song performed. I invite you to have a look at http://www.wittysongs.com.

Three's Not A Crowd

2011-06-13T07:22:00.002-05:00

Our three cats have interesting ways of relating to one another. In the attached photo, Leo, 10, is the white cat, GEM, 10, is the calico, and Twinkles, 16, is the tiger stripe.

Gem's a female who tends to be closer to Leo than Twinkles; Leo and Twinkles are very close and often sleep together.

We have three cat beds in the living room so they don't have to sleep together if they don't want to. They also have the run of the house so there are many other places that they can and do curl up.

The attached photo shows something that I have only observed one time--the three of them curled up together. I took the shot but the flash was turned off so the focus is soft.

I posted the photo at naturalscratch.com and came up with a tongue-in-cheek caption.

Another Happy Natural Scratch Customer

2011-06-06T08:04:00.000-05:00

Last week a couple in Texas ordered two Natural Scratch cedar Seconds for a group of about eight cats they had rescued.

After the posts arrived, the husband called to tell me how happy they were with Natural Scratch because within hours of the posts being assembled, a number of the cats were clawing them.

Calls and e-mails like that always make my day.

Dr. JB's Hummingbird Feeder

2011-05-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

Last fall we were at my wife's family's cabin in Northern Wisconsin and were surprised to see hummingbirds visiting a feeder hung outside the kitchen window.

Upon returning to Brookfield, I researched feeders online and bought one made by Songbird Essentials.

Earlier this week I installed it outside one of my office windows, filled it with sugar water according to a recipe I found online, and was pleasantly surprised when it attracted at least two hummingbirds within the first few hours.

It's fairly early in the season for hummingbirds here in Wisconsin given temperatures that are still in the 40s most days, so I think I'll see many, many more when the weather warms up in June.

Wonderful Time Of The Year

2011-05-05T06:30:00.001-05:00

Here in Wisconsin, the daylight portion of each 24 hours is lengthening as we move toward summer solstice on June 21.

I'm up early and the sky is noticeably brighter at 4:45 a.m. when I go out for the paper. Birds are singing by then, and today Sunrise occurred at 5:41 a.m.

It's been more than four months since winter solstice but we are well into spring now. I've already mowed the lawn twice.

Wisconsin can have extremely cold and snowy winters but the 2010-11 one was average on both counts.

Summers here are lush and wet in an almost tropical way which is our great reward for the barren and dormant winter months when plants stop growing and animals hibernate or migrate south.

Let me conclude, however, by observing that the landscape in America's Dairyland is beautiful after a snowfall and few things are more stimulating than a sub-zero, winter day.

Cat Scratching Training

2011-05-04T07:14:00.002-05:00

Natural Scratch And Kittens

2011-04-27T06:30:00.001-05:00

The best time to begin training any animal, humans included, is during childhood. Good habits instilled early persist.

To kittens, Natural Scratch is like a small tree and they enjoy clawing their way to the top. Rewarding this behavior with treats and affection reinforces in the kitten's mind that this is one place it may go a little wild.

The training booklet that accompanies Natural Scratch has a special section on kittens, and it emphasizes the differences between teaching a kitten and an adult cat. Get a preview at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html

Ursa Major

2011-04-19T06:02:00.000-05:00

My wife and I acquired--better said, he acquired us--our first cat together more than 25 years ago.

My brother and I were out star gazing in May in Florence County, Wisconsin, when I felt something brush up against my leg. I said to my brother as calmly as possible, "Don't react or anything but I think there's a skunk down by my feet." Just then the critter meowed.

I opened the car door, the dome light came on, and I saw a tiny gray tiger stripe kitten only a few months old who had already struck out on his own, probably from a farm in the area. I gave him a few pets and went back to star gazing under the inky black skies of northern Wisconsin, with the constellation, Ursa Major, The Big Dipper, directly overhead.

When we decided to leave to have dinner at a local bar-restaurant, to my amazement this tiny cat tried to climb into the car, even though the motor was now running and fairly loud. He clearly decided leaving with these big old humans was better than staying in the wild. Given that, I couldn't resist taking him along. All I could do was hope my lovely wife, who was almost 250 miles away, wouldn't mind. When I arrived back home in Wauwatosa (a Native American word meaning "Land of the Fireflies") outside of Milwaukee a few days later and told my wife the story she warmed to the little bugger immediately. We named him Ursa Major naturally.

New Natural Scratch Post

2011-04-11T06:44:00.001-05:00

Different cats like different things so a new Natural Scratch post is now available.

It features a section of sisal matting. I view it as a "starter" material for cats who like sisal. After a while the cat will gouge into the white cedar below and what is left of the sisal can be removed.

Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/sisalcedarscratchingpost.html.

Like all Natural Scratch products, the Sisal-Cedar post comes with a training booklet that teaches people how to train their cat or cats to claw Natural Scratch and nothing else. It also features a string toy and other interactive features.

Natural Scratch Sisal-Cedar Post

Cat Litter Helper

2011-04-05T11:44:00.002-05:00

Emptying cat litter is made much easier by the Cat Litter Change Helper, a new product at http://catlitterhelper.com/

Please have a look.

Like Natural Scratch cat-scratching posts, planks, and slabs, the Cat Litter Change Helper resulted from a personal need. After many years of pouring used litter into paper bags and having the bags fall over, I decided there must be a better way.

The Cat Litter Change Helper is the better way to change litter. Have a look at http://www.catlitterhelper.com/

As an added benefit, this new product makes it possible to put soiled litter back in the bag it was in when you purchased it.

Liz Taylor Tardy To The Last

2011-03-26T06:07:00.000-05:00

I'm definitely not a fan of any actress or actor except for Jane Hannemann who is a friend and a great person.

However, I was impressed by Liz Taylor's decision to be "late to her own funeral." The lightness and humor of her wish set an unusual mood for what typically is a terribly somber occasion. Very impressive.

It's cool when people don't take themselves or life too seriously.

Scratching Solution

2011-03-23T07:49:00.000-05:00

After almost 15 years of selling Natural Scratch, I am convinced that every cat can be trained to claw a post, plank, or slab and to leave other things alone.

Some cats are easier to train than others just as some humans are more inclined to accept instruction and direction than others.

These products are guaranteed and only rarely do I receive any back. Please have a look at naturalscratch.com.

Bald Eagle Over Suburban Brookfield

2011-03-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

We live about ten miles west of Milwaukee, but two weeks ago I saw a bald eagle out my office window. No mistaking it--big white head and white tail feathers-- because I've seen quite a few eagles in Northern Wisconsin over the past decade.

They have come back strongly, and we regularly see them at a family cabin located some 15 miles from Iron Mountain, Michigan.

It was flying in a big looping, hunting patten and was tending toward the southwest. I went out and watched it until it disappeared. Evidently it was just passing through.

A nesting pair of Bald Eagles reportedly has taken up residence in Mequon, another 'burb about 15 miles northeast of our location. Looking into this a bit online, I discovered a video of a Bald Eagle flying over Milwaukee's harbor. You can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0WI5iNZ_Ek

All thanks to Rachel Carson, author of the great *Silent Spring*, a book that led to the banning of DDT and the rebounding of raptors, including eagles.

Gray Time For Wisconsin

2011-03-08T06:32:00.000-06:00

Don't know exactly why but this time of year always seems to be cloudy and gray in Wisconsin.

That, coupled with the melting snow, creates a bleak picture.

Spring is just around the corner, though, and then everything will begin to change.

Wisconsin is hard to beat in the spring and summer.

Trained Hummingbirds

2011-02-22T11:39:00.000-06:00

The attached photos say it all about training animals.

Using patience and a step-by-step approach, this woman has accomplished what seems virtually impossible: training hummingbirds to eat out of her hand.

This is instructive for people who are facing any sort of challenge with an animal, human included.

It's rare indeed when the proper mix of love, understanding, and rewards--not to forget *patience*--won't channel behavior in the desired direction.

In the case of Natural Scratch, it's redirecting a cat's natural need to claw to an approved target.

Seconds Now Available

2011-02-09T15:41:00.001-06:00

When Natural Scratch is produced, there are always some posts that do not meet our requirements in terms of appearance. This might be due to graying from exposure to the elements after cutting at the mill, blemishes, or other flaws.

Such posts are set aside and I sell them as seconds. Cats claw these seconds just as enthusiastically as they do firsts but the appearance of seconds might seem less finished to humans.

Seconds have all the features of normal Natural Scratch posts, including the training booklet.

If you're looking to save a few bucks, these are the cat's meow. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/buysecond.html

Three's Not A Crowd

2011-01-28T05:59:00.000-06:00

Training Cats

2011-01-20T07:07:00.000-06:00

Regularly people ask me plaintively, "Do you think I can get my cat to claw Natural Scratch?"

The answer is *absolutely* but the emphasis has to be on the *I* in some cases.

Many cats are amazingly obedient but others are more inclined to do their own thing until you set 'em straight. Most cats want to please and not cause problems unnecessarily, but they won't know what is okay and what is not unless the humans in their lives make it clear.

It's really that simple. ('Course they don't speak English so you can't just say, "Don't scratch the wookwork, please!")

Humans who fail to train their cats simply give up too easily.

Natural Scratch comes with an easy-to-use training booklet that teaches humans how to train their cats.

Sisal-Wrapped Post Coming Soon

2011-01-10T05:47:00.000-06:00

I've been experimenting with a sisal-fabric wrap for the Natural Scratch cedar post and have been pleased with the results.

Our white cat, Leo, aka polar bear, likes it a lot but the other two--Twinkles and Gemini--rarely claw it. They prefer cedar or cork.

Cats do have preferences which is the primary reason I am bringing out a sisal-wrapped post. Thinking is a cat that likes this material will continue clawing the cedar once the sisal is clawed away.

The sisal, however, is a mat-type material and should last many years.

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-03T15:30:00.001-06:00

I'm don't make New Year's resolutions, but if I was so moved I would resolve to help those who are less fortunate than me even more than I already do.

The need is great.

Hope you'll join me in considering what you have and deciding to part with a little to help other animals, including humans.

I always wish I could do more.

Happy New Year and please help if you're able.

Natural Scratch And Kittens

2010-12-26T07:01:00.000-06:00

Drug War Deaths in Mexico

2010-12-20T08:17:00.004-06:00

For the last 40 years, I have witnessed the American war on drugs. Today it seems as pointless as ever and more deadly than ever. The attached article was in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel several days ago.

We need to find a better way to deal with intoxicants. Current approaches are tragically counter-productive.

The Coliseum Is A Headstone

2010-12-13T09:10:00.000-06:00

The other day I turned on the TV while having lunch and saw a travelogue about Rome.

First up was the coliseum, viewed from the air.

Various angles were presented as the helicopter holding the camera operator circled the place. It was easy to see hundreds of tourists walking around within its crumbling walls.

"Oh, what a great attraction it is..." the narrator said in so many words, as if it were Niagara Falls.

What it really is a headstone to tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of animals, including humans, who were murdered within its walls for the twisted amusement of the primitive Romans.

We're more civilized now, but parts of society still find brutality entertaining.

We have a long way to go.

Miracles

2010-12-08T06:49:00.000-06:00

There is no such thing as a miracle, but some things certainly seem miraculous.

Cataracts seem to run on my mother's side of the family. I had to have the one in my left eye removed about two years ago; yesterday the one in my left eye was treated.

Holy Holstein! My vision is now the best it's been in years.

I'm even typing this without reading glasses even though the near aspect of my ability to see is the one that was sacrificed because the artificial lens that was installed can only focus far or close, not both.

Thank you Dr. Young and staff and Menomonee Falls Community Hospital and all the brilliant, hard-working scientists who have brought medicine to it current point of effectiveness.

Better Scratching Posts

2010-11-29T11:12:00.002-06:00

Scratching posts generally are much better than they were when I sawed and pounded the first Natural Scratch post together in the late 70s. This is great news because it has helped save cat claws.

Sisal is a good material for clawing although clearly I think cedar and cork are better.

However, I'm happy so long as cat lovers make a decision not to declaw and then find a post that works for their cat or cats.

As I've written and said innumerable times, my firm belief is that all cats can be trained to scratch approved targets and nothing else.

All it takes is know-how and that is contained in the training method that accompanies all Natural Scratch posts.

Animal Training

2010-11-23T06:06:00.000-06:00

Recently, I received a link to a video clip that shows a woman training a walrus to do a variety of things, from rolling over to clapping its flippers.

Another arrived that shows a dog getting the paper for its human companion, bringing the slippers, retrieving the TV remote control, and performing other tricks.

It's amazing what animals can be trained to do.

Many cats need little prompting to claw a Natural Scratch product, but others require encouragement and training. This why Natural Scratch comes with an easy-to-use booklet that teaches people how to train their cats.

Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html.

Natural Scratch Cork Gets Plenty Of Use

2010-11-16T06:02:00.000-06:00

One of my daughter's college friends, Paige, has a Natural Scratch cork scratching post that her cat uses regularly.

She took the picture below recently and sent it to my daughter.

Given a good place to claw and a little encouragement, cats will leave furniture alone.

Duke likes Natural Scratch.

The Key Ingredient

2010-11-10T05:58:00.002-06:00

Many factors play roles when training a cat but probably none is more important than plain, old patience. You have to look for small behavior changes and build on them.

It's counterproductive to expect expect rapid improvement, especially with a rambunctious, high-energy animal. A much better approach with an energetic cat is to engage in tiring games before beginning training.

Most cats respond enthusiastically to food rewards just as many are attracted by catnip. Both are great aids when you are trying to instill appropriate behavior.

Natural Scratch comes with a booklet that teaches a 12-step training method that has worked well for many people. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html

Cats of many colors

2010-10-29T13:45:00.001-05:00

Selling Natural Scratch over the years has put me in touch with an amazing number of cat people and an even more amazing variety of cats. The stories I've heard or read are pretty amazing. Cat's that will eat just about anything to those that hardly eat anything.

Extremely fussy and solitary cats to those that are nearly as happy-go-lucky as a typical dog.

Just as cats come in many colors so do their personalities. Some run terrified from running water, others enjoy lapping it directly from a lavatory faucet. Humans have told me about cats that *guard* Natural Scratch so their companions can't get at it. But then there are those with multiple cats who enjoy clawing the post at the same time.

The takeaway from this is as someone who is trying to live with a cat, it's important to realize that you have to learn the cat's personality and what motivates it in order to understand how to train it.

Natural Scratch Testimonials

2010-10-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

I always encourage people who are contemplating purchasing or have purchased a Natural Scratch scratching post or two to read the Testimonials page at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstestimonials.html.

This helps them understand the range of reactions cats have to Natural Scratch. Some take to it immediately, others require considerable owner involvement and training. All eventually come to realize that it is something in the home or apartment that they can lay their claws into, with full human approval, for all their scratching needs

Never but never do I sell or promote Natural Scratch as a set-and-forget solution. It isn’t and there is no such thing as far as I know. BUT, it does work without exception if customers follow the method presented in the training guide, consistently and with love and patience. This came to mind because I was happy to add two more nice comments from customers yesterday afternoon to naturalscratch.com.

Bell Curve and Natural Scratch

2010-10-14T14:42:00.001-05:00

Some customers call or send an e-mail wondering whether their cat or cats will use Natural Scratch. I immediately say yes, but quickly add that in some cases it will take more human involvement and commitment.

More often than not, I then mention the Bell Curve and how it relates to feline behavior involving Natural Scratch.

Some cats on the *most cooperative* side of the curve claw Natural Scratch with little or no training. We have two like that.

Then there's the other side of the curve--the "least cooperative." These cats ignore the post completely. Not good.

Most cats are in the middle and tend toward one end of the curve of the other.

Even completely uninterested cats, however, are turned into reliable and happy Natural Scratch clawers when people follow the instructions in the training booklet.

It presents an easy-to-understand behavior modification method that works like a champ.

Read more about it at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html.

Cat Scratching Success

2010-10-11T06:51:00.001-05:00

Wasps With Nothing Left To Do

2010-10-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

It's early October in Wisconsin and the cold weather is coming on. Under the eaves and in a few other places, paper wasps have reached the end of another season.

The queens have already flown away to hibernate for the winter, leaving the workers with nothing to do. No eggs or larvae to tend and no need to expand the hive.

They appear to seek food because I see them on the few flowers that are still out but when at the nest, they tend to sit on top where gravity is friendlier.

Their lives are over but they don't know it. Soon the last will perish in the below freezing temperatures that are just around the corner.

Sonia At The Willy Street Fair

2010-09-28T07:22:00.007-05:00

Now and then, I write an entry about something other than scratching posts for cats. This one focuses on an artist named Sonia, whom I became acquainted with through the Web radio station Got Radio-World.

The song that caught my attention is *Tango*, and it has a superb melody. Sonia is great with melodies...and languages. She sings beautifully in several and seems to have a one-world, one-people, no-war philosophy.

Her band is called Disappear Fear but when my wife and I saw her at Madison's Willy Street Fair last Sunday, she performed alone with just an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, both played precisely and creatively.

It helps to have interesting and meaningful material and she's also an accomplished songwriter, whether the subject is the need for peace, love, and understanding, relationships, advice from her father, or another part of experience, everyday to ethereal.

I was able to speak with Sonia before the performance and she was gracious and completely unassuming. I bought CDs for our daughter and son, and she autographed both with cool words and pictures.

Below are some photos I took at the WSF. Click for a larger image. To learn more about Sonia and to purchase her CDs--which are excellent all the way through, song after song, words and music--visit http://www.soniadf.com.

It's clear she loves what she does, and you might love it, too.

Wonderful Volunteers

2010-09-13T06:38:00.000-05:00

Let me pause for a moment to praise the wonderful people who give up their time or donate money to help the less fortunate, whether cat, dog, another critter, or a human.

This is stupendous and all able-bodied people should be grateful that they can be a donor rather than be in need of a donation.

I do a little here and there as I can and urge you to, too.

Amazing Customer

2010-08-30T06:18:00.000-05:00

Every customer is wonderful naturally but some go beyond that to *amazing*.

A lady in California who has ordered a number of posts for herself and at least one relative has beautiful handwriting. I noticed this some years ago when she sent a video to me. The address label with my name, etc. was a work of art that I framed and still have on display.

After she ordered a cork post, she liked it to the point that she sent some excellent preserves and sweetbreads in return. Very kind of her.

She also sent a note about the Cork Natural Scratch that I scanned and put on my Web site at http://www.naturalscratch.com/jttCA.html.

Have a look, JanYce is amazing.

Small World

2010-08-23T07:07:00.004-05:00

Over the years I have had many great Natural Scratch customers, and some live far away. Recently a nice professional woman, initials L.L., in Manley, a seaside resort community near Sydney, Australia, sent an e-mail expressing interest in a double-wide cedar scratching plank.

My e-mail reply went to her at about 8:30 a.m. US central standard time which was nearly midnight in her time zone on the east coast of Australia. She was still up and replied that she wanted the plank and requested I send a PayPal invoice, which I did. Not long after her payment arrived.

I mentioned that our daughter Ann had been a study-abroad college student in Perth, Australia, and she said her daughter Alexandra was a post-doc fellowship student in London.

The next day, Thursday, August 12, I sent the plank "First-Class Mail International Parcel." Nine days later, L.L. e-mailed to let me know the package had arrived at her residence.

Wow.

I found a Web site* that provides "as the crow flies" distances, and it indicates Sydney is 9,240 miles from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA (I'm in Brookfield, a suburb).

L.L.'s cat, Bonnie, likes the NS plank and the catnip that accompanied it. (Always great news.)

New South Wales cat Bonnie is clawing a white cedar plank from a tree that grew in Northern Wisconsin, USA and enjoying catnip that was found growing wild in Southeastern Wisconsin.

In addition, L.L. and I were communicating around the world via e-mail in seconds at no more cost than each of us pays for Web access.

Certainly modernity and technology have downsides but the upsides are astonishing.

*http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/calculate-distance.html#axzz0xQdVxEhM

Cardboard Bed And Hornets

2010-08-09T15:14:00.000-05:00

A new bike carrier arrived in a cardboard box that is about 24" by 36" and maybe 5" deep. I took all the parts out and haphazardly set the box on the floor between two cat beds made out of the fluffy stuff cats seem to love.

The cat beds are designed for cats and are only for cats and our three have slept many hours in each one.

However, our oldest cat, Twinkles, who is 16, promptly climbed onto the box and has made it his new bed ever since. I'd like to throw it away, but hate to with Twinkles evidently in love with it.

Cat behavior is often surprising and nearly always endearing. So why would he prefer the box to a soft, just-for-cats cat bed? Only he knows.

Saturday, I was carrying yard debris to a utility trailer we have and noticed hornets flying by in both directions at one point on the route. I stopped and traced the ones heading in the direction of our house to a hole in the ground just off the deck. The number or hornets arriving at and departing from this hole was impressive, a constant stream in two directions. A hornet nest this large near a home is dangerous so I knew I would have to kill them. I marked the hole with a 2 x 4 and came back after dark with a can of Ortho Hornet and Wasp Killer spray.

Coincidentally I happen to be reading a book by Richard Rhodes about the development of the atomic bomb. As I was spraying nasty chemicals down the hole I kept thinking of what Robert Oppenheimer said as he was viewing the first atomic bomb blast, ""Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." It's from Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita.

I certainly was destroying the only world the hornets knew. The next day I didn't see a single yellow jacket leave the nest, but I did notice several return, but they only hovered in the air near the entrance. They seemed to know that landing meant death. It struck me that these stragglers were hornets that left the nest near darkness the day before and had spent the night away from home. Fortunate in a way, I suppose, but now they had no home to return to and no idea what happened.

Cactus Flower 2011

2010-08-04T15:18:00.020-05:00

Click and hold to get a larger view.

* * *

The End.

Wild Area

2010-07-21T12:01:00.008-05:00

Wild Area Wide View

Wild Area Close View

Cat Scratching In A Perfect World

2010-07-06T09:02:00.000-05:00

In a perfect world, cats would do exactly what their human companions want them to do with little or no prompting. For example, when presented a scratching post--any scratching post--and told to claw it exclusively, the cat would do just that.

However, our world, though endlessly amazing, is far from perfect.

Many cats will ignore a well-suited scratching post, even Natural Scratch, and target something that is strictly off-limits. In these cases, the problem is that the cat hasn't come to the obvious conclusion that the post is perfect for scratching and approved for scratching and he or she should claw nothing else.

What works to change this behavior to what we would expect in a perfect world is training. All cats can be trained to claw Natural Scratch exclusively, please find out more at http://naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html

2010-06-24T05:49:00.001-05:00

Friday night my wife and I had finished loading the groceries in the trunk, were in the car and ready to back out, when another customer got our attention and said we had forgotten something in the cart. He was waving a package of frozen vegetables. Evidently it fell out of one the reusable bags we employ nowadays.

Clearly, there was nothing in this for the customer; in fact, he could have scored a free bag of frozen veggies if he hadn't said anything. It was just an act of kindness.

I often repeat another story involving kindness that I experienced about 50 years ago. I grew up in a small city and by the time I reached nine or so, my parents allowed me to walk downtown with friends on Saturdays. This was the commercial district's biggest shopping day, and the streets were mobbed with people, including lots of kids looking for fun. It was perfectly safe.

Generally none of us kids had more than a buck in his pocket for the afternoon's adventure, but in those days a buck went quite a ways. At the end of one such foray, a group of about five of us decided to stop at a small, grill-type restaurant—the kind of place that had the word "Eat" displayed prominently—and have cokes and maybe an order of fries that we would share. By that point, that was all we could afford *after* pooling our money.

So we went into this place, plunked down at the counter, checked the sandwich board for prices, counted our nickels and pennies—literally—conferred, and decided that indeed all we could afford was a round of cokes and one order of fries.

The grill cook came up to us and he was a classic for the time, probably around 1960, and I still can picture him to this day. He had dark hair and was wearing one of those white army-style paper hats (see photo from thecostumer.com) that such workers used to wear, a white t-shirt, and a white apron. We told him our order and pretty soon he came back with the cokes. We started sipping them and continued talking up a storm which is what we did in those days.

Pretty soon I noticed the cook walking toward us with his arms full of plates! My memory is that every one of my buddies had the same shocked expression on his face. Soon the cook set a hamburger and order of fries in front of each of us. We stammered together in surprise and horror (all of us thinking no doubt that seeing we didn't have the money to pay for this feast, we'd have to do the dishes!) that there must have been some sort of mistake because all we could afford was one order of fries and the cokes. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, boys, it's on me!" I distinctly remember each of us breaking out in a grin as wide as the sky at our good fortune.

'Course at that age we all ate as if we hadn't seen food before and were as effusive in our thanks as kids can be. We also left a little pile of pennies and nickels as a tip.

I wish there were some way I could locate that grill cook and tell him what a wonderful thing he did, how I still think about his kindness on a regular basis and have probably retold the story a hundred times.

I don't even know his name, but he brought a lasting ray of sunshine into my life that day and taught me an important lesson.

Wild Wisconsin Catnip

2010-06-15T12:29:00.000-05:00

Customer cats have responded well to the catnip I have been including with post orders, so I ordered more. Elaine dropped it off on Saturday afternoon and said she already is out harvesting this summer's crop.

She brought along some freshly picked stalks and told me how to dry them. After a couple of weeks she said I should be able to strip away the leaves and buds.

Our cats love the stuff but only now and then. It's a treat not a steady diet.

Trained Hummingbirds

2010-06-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

The attached photos say it all about training animals. Using patience and a step-by-step approach, this woman has accomplished what seems virtually impossible: training hummingbirds to eat out of her hand.

This is instructive for people who are facing any sort of challenge with an animal, human included. It's rare indeed when the proper mix of love, understanding, and rewards--not to forget *patience*--won't channel behavior in directions deemed appropriate.

In the case of Natural Scratch, it's redirecting a cat's natural need to claw to an approved target.

Training Your Cat

2010-06-03T06:11:00.002-05:00

More Scratching Products And Other Things Cats Like

2010-05-25T16:12:00.001-05:00

Please check our naturalscratch.com to view a variety of products that will help you or people you know solve scratching problems.

Every post now comes with a bag of catnip that grew wild in Wisconsin.

In addition, a Cat Litter Change Helper is now being offered.

Goal always is to help make the lives of cats and their human companions at least a little nicer.

Testimonials

2010-05-17T06:11:00.000-05:00

E-mails that report Natural Scratch appeals to a cat or cats and has solved a clawing problem warm my heart.

When I started this business years ago, my intention was to provide a product that worked with most cats. Natural Scratch has achieved that.

Although I think the cedar and cork materials are excellent for the purpose and that features such as the Mouse Hole and Antenna help people interest their cats in the posts, the best part of Natural Scratch is the training booklet.

Many, many customers have written to mention that it helped them attract and train their cats.

Cats whittle a sculpture

2010-05-11T06:02:00.002-05:00

One of the best things about Natural Scratch is that it lasts and lasts and keeps looking better with use. Sometimes cats scratch the post so frequently it begins to look like a beaver chewed on it. As I've mentioned many times to customers, cats whittle a sculpture over time.

Since Natural Scratch sales began back in the nineties, I've only had one customer who reported her cats had clawed it to a point where the top was threatening to topple down. Many other customers have ordered new posts short of that, but only after five or six years of daily clawing.

'Course I need to add that many posts--even Natural Scratch--will last forever because the cat or cats won't scratch them. This is why training is key..and the reason Natural Scratch comes with an easy-to-follow training guide.

Scratching Post Stability

2010-05-06T05:54:00.001-05:00

Watching cats scratch Natural Scratch is fun. It's amazing how deeply they dig in and how much joy they get from it.

Our three cats scratch the post regularly, at least several times a day. They often squint their eyes some and get this faraway look. It's easy to imagine how good it must feel to them.

Regardless of how hard they claw Natural Scratch, though, the post barely moves because the effective footprint supplied by the 32-inch-long base pieces is large.

Not once since I began selling the post in the nineties has anyone written to say her or his cat was able to tip it over. More later...

This blog has moved

2010-04-28T05:45:00.002-05:00

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Cat-scratching training

2010-04-27T07:02:00.001-05:00

A trip on the bus

2010-04-20T15:22:00.002-05:00

I'm a suburbanite, and currently my household has two cars, both titled to my wife. I gave my car to our daughter.

Over the weekend, I bought a used car from a great young guy named Igor who is an immigrant from Serbia and a college student. He works at a large hotel in downtown Milwaukee, so he said I could pick up the car there on Monday.

Rather than ask anyone for a ride, I decided to take the bus. First, I needed to walk to the bus stop which is about 2.5 miles away. The bus came right on schedule and I rode it about ten miles to get in the vicinity of where I was going to meet Igor. When I got on and paid $2.25 there was only one other gentleman aboard but soon others joined us.

Many had passes and quite a few had cell phones. The latter often climbed the stairs into the bus jabbering away and didn't stop during their entire ride.

At two stops, the driver had to let down a special ramp that permitted individuals in wheelchairs to board. What a great feature for the handicapped. Special seats just behind the driver lifted out of the way; then he was able to put the wheelchairs near the windows and strap them down.

It was comfortable and interesting ride. In fact, I saw parts of Milwaukee I hadn't seen before. My fellow passengers seemed like a wonderful group of people. Its great that we have a service like this even if it needs to be subsidized by taxpayer dollars. It's very good to help those who have fewer things in life...very good, indeed.

NS Testimonials

2010-04-13T21:35:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to report that testimonials to the effectiveness of Natural Scratch, its interactive features, and the training booklet it comes with continue to arrive. Great.

This means a cat--or maybe several--still has its claws. That's gratifying. My family has had cats since I was a small child and they are excellent companions.

Never had to declaw one in lo these many years and don't think I ever could.

If you're having a problem with a cat scratching where it shouldn't, I hope you'll give Natural Scratch a try. It's guaranteed.

A good post and training solve clawing problems

2010-03-30T05:31:00.003-05:00

Like any companion, a cat may do things we don't like and that get on our nerves. Scratching something it shouldn't is a major irritation for just about everyone. Thing not to do is get angry--this won't help. Instead, you should immediately understand that the cat is scratching something it shouldn't for one of two reasons or combination of the two: 1. The absence of an approved scratching target in its environment; and 2. It hasn't been trained properly.

The solution is to purchase or build a good scratching post and then train your cat or cats to use it. The first part of this is pretty easy and naturally I highly recommend Natural Scratch. Part 2.--training--might seem a daunting challenge but truly isn't that hard if you have a sensible method and follow it.

Check out http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html to learn more about the easy-to-use training guide that comes with Natural Scratch.

People Are Way Smarter Than Cats

2010-03-23T09:50:00.002-05:00

Cats are great, fun, and pretty darned smart. Over lo these many decades I've seen much evidence of this. From one I had in my youth named Buff who was adept at sticking his paw into a milk glass to get a drink to another named Ursa Major who would entertain us by leaping from a bench on a boathouse over water to a dock several feet away.

However, they are nowhere near as smart as a human of even average intelligence.

The reason I bring this up is to give hope to those whose cats are exhibiting behavior they don't like, mainly clawing things they shouldn't.

As a vastly more intelligent human, you should have no trouble training your cat to do what you want it to do. It's not hard at all. To help you along, Natural Scratch comes with an easy-to-read-and-use training manual. Have a look at naturalscratch.com.

Scratching post testimonials

2010-03-15T07:05:00.004-05:00

I always encourage people who are contemplating purchasing or have purchased a Natural Scratch scratching post or two to read the Testimonials page at naturalscratch.com.

This helps them understand the range of reactions cats have to Natural Scratch. Some take to it immediately, others require considerable owner involvement and coaxing. All eventually come to realize that it is something in the home or apartment that they can lay their claws into, with full human approval, for all their scratching needs

Never but never do I sell or promote Natural Scratch as a set-and-forget solution. It isn’t and there is no such thing as far as I know. BUT, it does work without exception if customers follow the method presented in the training guide, consistently and with love and patience.

Natural Scratching Post

2010-03-08T07:11:00.001-06:00

Like most people, when I first had a clawed cat and it started scratching the couch, my natural inclination was to provide an alternative that also was upholstered--years ago *carpeted* was the standard. In the cases of the great cats of my youth, this never worked. At the time I didn't know why but now I do.

Primarily it was lack of training and secondarily it was ignorance about the fact that cats deposit scent when they claw something and this is highly attractive to them.

Now I also know that a wood scratching post like Natural Scratch is clearly a more appropriate target for cats because it's certain they don't find carpeting or couches in the wild.

Kittens are particularly fun to watch with Natural Scratch. They race up it like is was a small tree. Climbing leads to clawing and a lifelong affection for Natural Scratch.

Older cats too can be trained relatively easily to claw Natural Scratch exclusively. All it takes is a little time, consistency, love, and a training method that works--the one that accompanies Natural Scratch.

Natural Scratch Catnip and Full Petential Kitty Treats

2010-03-02T05:33:00.002-06:00

When I introduced Natural Scratch about 15 years ago, I included kitty treats and catnip with each post. Reason was these inducements are useful in training cats to claw Natural Scratch and nothing else.

I never had good sources for either, however, and ultimately decided to stop packing them with each post.

In recent months I've found a good, local source for catnip and also have discovered a kitty treat--Purr Fish from Full Petential--that all three of our guys love.

Both are available as add-ons to orders for Natural Scratch posts, slabs, and planks. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nscatnip.html.

End of an era

2010-02-22T06:47:00.004-06:00

Since about 1979, we have had cable television.

For decades we were Time-Warner subscribers and ultimately also purchased telephone service from the company. The phone portion was unreliable and motivated us to look for a different supplier.

About three months ago we switched to AT&T Uverse. The telephone service is excellent but, in general, cable television is poor and getting worse. CNN isn't what it used to be and Court TV hardly exists. The endless right- or left-wing squabbles that make up a lot of prime-time programming on FOX, CNBC, and other stations along with an endless litany of programs about crimes, aren't worth watching.

About two weeks ago, I bought a small, butterfly indoor antenna from Radio Shack (see photo) and was amazed by the quality of the signal we receive free through the air. The antenna cost about $5.00 and produces better high definition TV than what we received from the cable. Evidently, cable companies compress HD images, reducing clairity, before sending them down the line. My neighbor, Larry, said this butterfly is all that is necessary to receive signals in a Milwaukee suburb from broadcast antennas about ten miles away. He is right, and as a result, we canceled our cable last Friday.

For the little TV we watch, that diminutive butterfly is all we need. Another factor naturally is the reality that we are now getting most of our news online or through our iphones. There is also plenty of television to view online, both archived and new and we have our computers hooked up to our TVs so the picture is more than acceptable, too.

Training cats and other animals

2010-02-15T06:26:00.001-06:00

Dolphins jump out of the water and pass through hoops; then they dance across the surface on their tails. Then, usually, a trainer offers praise and a fish treat. This is how training generally works.

Intermittent reinforcement is stronger than constant but regardless of how often a reward is offered it has to be something the animal--in the case of scratching, cats--will perform for.

Try different store-bought treats with you cat or, if your gal or guy is fussy, try different table scraps. For example, small pieces of bread or vegetables. The range of foods customers have told me their cats love is astonishing. All cats crave some sort of treat, it's just a matter of isolating which...

This done, training a cat to do what you want it to and to avoid doing what you don't want it to becomes pretty easy.

Leo In The Center

2010-02-09T06:05:00.004-06:00

All cats are amazing and no two are alike. Our white cat, Leo, though has a number of particularly endearing characteristics. First, he is affectionate well beyond the norm.

Second, he is not shy. He enjoys visitors and is especially fond of service workers who stop by to repair things ranging from the plumbing to the furnace. He's always happy to hang around and watch whatever they're up to.

Third, Leo also likes to be the center of attention. Recently I took the attached photo to accompany a Craig's List posting to give away a TV that no longer worked and would be too expensive to repair. As I was lining up the shot, Leo jumped on top of the set.

I posted the picture with him in it and added the note, "cat not included" with the free TV.

Leo might have helped because within an hour, I received an e-mail from a man who visited yesterday and picked up the set.

Kitty Treats And Catnip

2010-02-05T06:21:00.002-06:00

Soon I will be adding kitty treats and catnip to naturalscratch.com. Both come in handy when training cats, so it makes sense to offer them to customers.

The catnip grows wild in Wisconsin, and I purchased it from a nice lady who harvests it during the warm months.

A business based in California named Full Petential offers the kitty treats I will sell at naturalscratch.com. One of them, Purr Fish, is greatly loved by our three cats. A good sign that they will appeal to most feline palates.

Amazing customers

2010-01-24T07:46:00.002-06:00

Kindnesses

2010-01-11T15:25:00.014-06:00

Clearly, there was nothing in this for the customer; in fact, he could have scored a free bag of frozen veggies if he hadn't said anything. It was just an act of kindness.

I often repeat another story involving kindness that I experienced about 50 years ago. I grew up in a small city and by the time I reached nine or so, my parents allowed me to walk downtown with friends on Saturdays. This was the commercial district's biggest shopping day, and the streets were mobbed with people, including lots of kids looking for fun. It was perfectly safe.

Generally none of us kids had more than a buck in his pocket for the afternoon's adventure, but in those days a buck went quite a ways. At the end of one such foray, a group of about five of us decided to stop at a small, grill-type restaurant—the kind of place that had the word "Eat" displayed prominently—and have Cokes and maybe an order of fries that we would share. By that point, that was all we could afford *after* pooling our money.

So we went into this place, plunked down at the counter, checked the menuboard for prices, counted our dimes, nickels, and pennies—literally—conferred, and decided that indeed we only had enough money for a round of Cokes (at 10 or 15 cents each) and one order of fries (at a quarter or so).

The grill cook came up to us and he was a classic for the time, probably around 1960; I still can picture him to this day. He had dark hair and was wearing one of those white army-style paper hats (see photo from thecostumer.com) that such workers used to wear and a white t-shirt and white apron. He took our order and pretty soon he came back with the Cokes. We started sipping them and continued talking up a storm.

A little while later I noticed the cook walking toward us with his arms full of plates! My memory is that every one of my buddies had the same shocked expression. Soon a hamburger and order of fries were in front of each of us. We stammered together in surprise and horror (all of us thinking no doubt that seeing we didn't have the money to pay for this feast, we'd have to do the dishes!) that there must have been some sort of mistake because all we could afford was one order of fries and the cokes. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, boys, it's on me!" I distinctly remember each of us breaking out in a grin as wide as the sky at our good fortune.

'Course at that age we all ate as if we hadn't seen food before and were as effusive in our thanks as kids can be. We also left a small pile of coins as a tip.

I wish there were some way I could locate that grill cook and tell him what a wonderful thing he did, how I still think about his kindness on a regular basis and have probably retold the story a hundred times.

I don't even know his name, but he brought a lasting ray of sunshine into my life that day and taught me an important lesson.

New Product From roygbivdesignsLLC

2010-01-06T10:24:00.002-06:00

We have three cats. This means three litter pans must be scooped regularly and changed once per week. Because litter bags typically have a rounded bottom, I've always used standard grocery bags to receive the used litter.

These have flat bottoms and stand on their own fairly well, but every now and then one will collapse when I'm dumping the litter in. Standard grocery bags are also single walled and sometimes tear given the weight of litter. Not good in either case because the litter gets on the garage floor and is unpleasant to say the least.

For some time I've been thinking about building a simple framework that would allow standard litter bags to be reused to collect litter. The bags litter comes in are double-walled and much less likely to break or tear than regular grocery bags.

Finally last autumn I completed a prototype and was pleased by how much easier it made the litter-changing task. It's also great to re-use the litter bags.

More time was spent making the product easy to assemble and store, and now I think have something that will work well for all cat people. Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/catlitterchangehelper.html It's called the Cat Litter Change Helper.

Kittens And Natural Scratch

2010-01-05T06:28:00.003-06:00

The key ingredient

2009-12-28T04:51:00.003-06:00

Winder Wonderland

2009-12-22T15:58:00.002-06:00

Although forecasters predicted Wisconsin would have a milder-than-usual winter, so far it hasn't come to pass.

Today is typical with several inches of snow on the ground already.

At the base of the bird feeder is one of the many squirrels that visit our home and take advantage of the careless eating habits of cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, and other feathered friends that land in the feeder.

Cats And Perfection

2009-12-21T15:57:00.002-06:00

Perfection is always a goal and often a matter of opinion. One person's idea of what the perfect cat would be like might not square with another's.

Even a cat that is perfect in the eyes of its owner will now and then do things that will try the patience of the most doting companion. Expulsions related to hair balls or eating something gastronomically unfriendly, for example, especially those that fall on something precious or difficult to clean

Other things will happen, too, that might be contary to anyone's view of what constitutes the perfect cat. It's always wise to remember that just as we are only human cats are only cats and accidents happen.

Cats of Many Colors

2009-12-17T15:39:00.002-06:00

The Amazing Web

2009-12-09T08:44:00.002-06:00

Once in a while I need to stop and praise the amazing Web. This occasion was prompted by something that happened yesterday.

My wife was cleaning one of our cats' water dishes using vinegar to remove the mineral deposits and noticed a slimy-looking substance in the vinegar. Neither of us had seen anything like it before.

Later I typed something about this into Google and immediately discovered that the slime is common and even has a name, "Mother of vinegar." It's a combination of "cellulose and acetic acid bacteria" according to a Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_vinegar

Before the Internet, discovering a well-known fact like this might have required a trip to the library. Now after a few pokes, the answer is yours. It's a whole new world.

Introducing Natural Scratch Scratching Pads

2009-12-07T06:04:00.003-06:00

Cats who like to claw while on their stomachs will like the new horizontal cat scratching pads from Natural Scratch. These result from inquires from customers who have cats who are not inclined to claw a vertical post.

There are four new products in all, one made of cork and three made from white cedar.

They include features that have helped Natural Scratch posts solve clawing problems for people across the US and in a number of other nations. These include a bungee cord toy, cavities for catnip and kitty treats, and the training booklet.

Please have a look at the bottom of www.naturalscratch.com.

Two New Ways To Repel Cats From Things They Shouldn't Scratch

2009-11-28T07:31:00.003-06:00

Recently, I came upon two new-to-me ways of dissuading cats from clawing things in the home that are off limits. Thought I should pass them on. These were posted by experienced cat people on the Internet

1. To keep dogs and cats from furniture and such, use Vicks Vapor Rub. They hate this smell.

2. Spray the area that your cat is scratching with inexpensive perfume. It will stop immediately as they do not like the taste when licking their paws. I have been using this for 35 years and have not found a cat yet that continued to scratch my furniture. I hope this helps you, too.

Like humans, a cat tends to stay with something that pleases it. This means that if your cat has developed a bad scratching habit--clawing a couch for example--you will have to work with her or him to bread the habit. The above suggestions might help.

New Products On The Way From roygbivdesignsLLC

2009-11-24T07:47:00.003-06:00

Raw materials have been stockpiled and new tools purchased to build new products that will be added to my scratching post site, naturalscratch.com.

In the next weeks and months, I hope to introduce a horizontal scratching pad, an A-frame post and perch combination, and perhaps even a custom section, where I will allow people to tell me what type of cat furniture they want. It will then be built custom and shipped.

Goal is to have more products that will help people live with their cats without turning to drastic measures such as declawing.

Naming names.

2009-11-16T15:54:00.004-06:00

Scratching post? Cat scratching post? What's in a name? In this modern Internet world, quite a lot.

Names have always been essential and defining. Examples come to mind quickly: Ford Mustang, Prairie Style, Beatles, Stratocaster. 7-Up.

But in the era of "key" words, names are important in ways that didn't matter 20 years ago. Natural Scratch--I think at least--is a good name for the post I designed, have manufactured, and have sold for about the last 15 years.

However, few will go to Google and do a search on it. Some who receive recommendations from their friends do, I know, but most people who need a target for their cat's claws put in the words that they've heard or read most often. Maybe it's scratching post, scratcher, cat-scratching post, cat pole, or another...

There are many possibilities.

What's frustrating is that Natural Scratch offers people extremely high prospects for success in training their cats, but most people have never seen it and never will see it. Mainly this is due to the fact that I have yet to figure out how to get high search engine rankings consistently.

If you have any ideas, please let me know.