Pressure fit custom cat tree

Merry Christmas Ranger and Mercy

Cat tree for Ranger and Mercy

Putting a cat tree in a home is an environmental enrichment - something to make the inside more exciting for your cat.   Many clients agree it is a good idea, but won't do it.  Why?????   Most of the objections that  I hear are - they are ugly - too big - I don't want to put any screws in the walls - they clash with my decor.  I saw an idea or a pressure fit cat tree on http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/12/stolmen-cat-tree.html website and thought that would be a great addition to our waiting room for Mercy and Ranger.  It would also serve as a demonstration of a cat tree that would answer a lot of those client objections. 

here is the sketch following the website ideas

 I thought I would enlist the help of my husband Tom Wold.  He is really good at scrutinizing the details of a project and constructing unusual things.  After a few lively discussions, he understood that I wanted absolutely no brackets or screws to be put in the walls, floor or ceiling. He was concerned that a very active Ranger would knock the tree loose.  I doubted that would happen, and  I needed a solution for the clients who refuse to have anything mar a wall.  Some of the other important features were  a cubbie off the floor with a bunny hole for a cat to go from the floor into the cubbie then out the top.  This would provide an  escape hatch from a big dog or other threat.   Spacing the shelves to make it easy for Mercy with her bad hip to navigate was also important.  I knew fleece was the way to go for covering the shelves.  Cats love fleece and it is easy to clean.   Working out the details on paper before starting  made the whole process easier.

Supplies needed :
1 Stoleman pole - IKEA  online   (or store)   it will extend up to 129 inches!

1- 2 boxes of Stoleman pole brackets - there are 4 sets  to a box and one set per shelf  is needed 

carriage bolts, washers and nuts

2 inch long carriage bolts  you will need 2 per bracket installed

4 washers per bolt on the brackets -

1 7/8 inch hole saw  - this size worked

drill and bit for carriage bolt holes

jig saw. sawz all, or hand saw -

shelves -  1 X 10 inch shelving  2 - 20 inches long  2 - 24 inches long 
1   24 X 24 inch plywood ( base of cubbie) - this made it like an end table too
1 12 X 24 inch plywood ( top of cubbie)
2 12 X 15 inch plywood ( sides of cubbie)

recycled wood from the old cabinet - free!

             I reused  the  wood we saved from an old cabinet we took apart years ago

1 yard fleece fabric  54 inches wide - all fleece is this wide -

Rubbermaid shelf liner 

The cubbie end table replaced the function of the table that used to be in the corner  The bottom of the cubbie was the 24 inch square cabinet door, and the top another 12 by 24 inch door.  Luckily the edges were already rabbited so the plywood sides were easy to install.  Tom used a jig saw to cut the bunny hole.  You could use other kinds of saws - just be sure to smooth out the edges.  We made the hole 7 inches by 7 inches on the top and bottom.

marking the placement of the hole saw and bolts

Tom drew out a template for placing the drill holes for the pole and the bolts.  This made the placement very exact and consistent.  He drilled the pole hole 5 inches from the end of all the boards 

washers in place with brackets installed loose

finished boards

The pole hole and bolt holes were cut then the brackets installed.

First Tom extended the pole to fit the  ceiling height including the ceiling board.  Then we took it down to the floor for assembling the shelves.  

sliding the first shelf/cubbie on

This is the awkward part - not too bad really

measuring the distance desired between shelves - then tighten

Now  slide the shelves onto the pole with the plastic sleeves in place, then tighten using the wrenches supplied.  This was the fiddly part that frustrated Tom the most.  It really was not that hard, just a bit awkward so be patient with it.  Figuring out the distance between shelves and the way we wanted them to point was a big help when putting the pole together.  All Tom had to do was install the first shelf, then measure up and put the next one and rotate it into position and so on.

pole is now set to go up

Time to put up the pole.    The base plate was in  position  and ceiling board was nearby. 
 In one motion,  Tom hoisted the pole up like a Christmas tree and slipped the board on the ceiling.  I just held the center of the pole to keep it in position as he adjusted the base to fit the pole snug against the ceiling.  Hooray!  The pole and shelves were up and almost ready.  The whole process to install was quick and easy.

Painting the shelves would come later - I wanted to get the fleece up so Ranger and Mercy could start to investigate the cat pole and enjoy it.
.

measuring wall distance for plumb

cutting the rubber shelf mat to fit

The actual laying/perching area of the shelf is about 14 inches long, so I cut 12 inch wide strips from the width of the fleece, then folded that about 4 times to make a thick soft cover.  Cats really love fleece - better than carpet and it would be easy to wash.  The Rubbermaid shelf line was cut to fit the surface and this prevents the fleece from slipping on the shelf.

little cups for finding food

  Ranger can be a little slow figuring things out at times, so I got some small dishes at Pier one and put some of his food in them.  Putting the dishes up on the shelves rewarded him for climbing the pole and is also a way to encourage your cat to "hunt" their food.  We also re oriented some of the shelves after it was up.  All we had to do was loosen the brackets a little, rotate the shelf the tighten.

As you can see, Ranger likes the pole.  Even Mercy has enjoyed the cat tree.  There are at least 4 more perching places available in the clinic for the cats  expanding their space. .  There is also the cubbie for times when Mercy wants to hide out.  It has held up well and we are showing it off  to clients to encourage them to understand what their cat needs.

Merry Christmas Ranger!

 You could decorate this any way you like to have it work with your home. Shelves could be made of fine wood that is stained, the  pole can be painted or even wrap fabric around it to beautify it.  Wrapping the pole with jute rope would make a great scratching area for cats too.  Our pole was finished just in time for Christmas so Rachael wound greenery around ours.

Add a custom cat tree to your house.  Your cats will love you for it! 

   

Mercy in her favorite spot

Calming a cat's anxiety with CALM by Royal Canin

Mercy is one of our clinic pet cats.  She and Ranger have some basic understandings to keep the peace between each other as you have read in July 2011 post.  In the mornings Mercy was acting a bit more agitated at Ranger, also hissing at some people and just out of sorts. I could not find any medical reason outstanding to be making her attitude upset.  There were not any overt big fights, and I did not want it to get like that. 

Mercy is on J/D  for her arthritic false hip ( she had a femoral head ostectomy about 14 years ago), pumpkin to reduce hair balls, joint supplement and periodic pain reliever.  Her medical management seemed to be at the best it could and I considered if she may be feeling some anxiety or was that developing with age.  We have added lots of additional perches in the office to enrich the environment for them so competition for space was not likely.  We also ordered some feather toys on a stick for structured play time for Ranger and what ever Mercy would do so there was social interaction with the staff but still, she just did not seem happy.  I thought this would be a good chance to try out the CALM diet by Royal Canin and see how it might help her.

The J/D diet by Hills has given Mercy some benefit with her hip so I did not want to abandon that diet completely.  I instructed Racheal, one of the techs to mix the J/D and CALM  50/50  for the trial and see if there was any effect.  The supplementation would not be a much, but I figured - there may be some benefit.  The behaviors we were looking to see improvement on were - less hissing and avoidance of staff members and Ranger.  That was about it.  We did not have any soiling problems or real aggressive fights - just the crankiness towards Ranger and some of the staff.  We had figured her avoidance of dogs and some clients to be just the way she was.

 Typically Mercy does not seek affection and want to be petted by women.  Men with strong aftershave or cigarette smell on their hands is what she loves - why I have not clue!  Really - she will roll, rub, and purr for a man with the strong aroma of  Polo or Aramis.  She likes to sit on Racheal's lap, tolerate petting from Debbie, and really does not want to have anything to do with Leeza even though Leeza  does her feedings and care.  So one day about 1 1/2 weeks after we started her on the CALM diet I was at the clinic after hours.  Mercy came right up to me and started to rub and weave in between my legs purring.  I had to double check it was her and not Ranger.  She let me pet her and continued to purr!  This was really surprising to me.  She rarely sought out affection from me and would usually only tolerate some head pets before leaving.  Here she was continually seeking petting.  Then the next day she was laying in her bed which is on the shelf under where the microwave is.  I put my mug in the microwave which would typically have her jumping out of her bed to go elsewhere.  As my coffee was warming up I saw she was laying peacefully in her bed, just taking in the day.  Wow - this is unusual.  She let me pet her in her bed - another big step toward less anxiety! 

Later  I told the staff to observe her interactions with staff members, clients and Ranger.  As each day passed we saw her go up to clients and head butt them as well as allowing them to pet her over her head and body as she has not done before!  Men were no longer the only Mercy magnet!

Mercy loves to be with Leeza now

The really surprising day was when Mercy sat right next to Leeza as she worked on files and was head butting her.  In a cautious way Leeza picked Mercy up and held her.  Typically Mercy would have resisted and even tried to swat or bite at Leeza.  Not now.  Mercy loves Leeza now.

Play time has also improved for Mercy.  She will now chase after the feather as it is dragged across the ground and play Kill The Bear with her toy.  She and Ranger still have their am attitude adjustment period.  This has been a bit challenging to figure out.  They each jump and pounce on each other and will co groom just before.  There is not any hissing or tension about perching spaces.  It may be that they like wrestling but it is hard to tell.

Mercy is much more lovey

The CALM has really helped Mercy be a more social, affectionate and less anxious cat.  With each week we are seeing her be more lovey and interacting well even with dogs that come in.  If your cat is hiding, avoiding petting, or interacting with other pets or people I would strongly advise to talk to your veterinarian about trying the CALM diet.  Mercy really likes the taste of it and has not had any problems with her stool or vomiting.  The diet is adjusted to be good for urinary health and dental health as well.  CALM for cats is available in 8.8 lb bags which at 1/4 -1/3 cup dry food per day will last quite a while.  There is a rebate available on the Royal Canin Face book page so be sure to sign up for that.  We print those out for our clients to make it easier to follow through with the rebate.

Good luck and let me know if you give CALM a try.
Dr Sally J Foote

Latest updates on Bella and the summer

It has been a busy summer, so sorry for the delay in posting.

Grace as prairie field assistant to Dr Sheila Sobaski

Bella has continued to progress will with her CALM diet.  She is decreasing in her agitation and reactivity daily.   A big step forward for Bella was when my good friend Sheila and her daughter Grace visited at the end of July.  Normally I have kept Bella at the clinic for the 2-3 days that Sheila is here doing her field work since Bella does not have to know them; they visit once a year.  This time I thought - let's see how it goes. I can always board her if she is not less agitated.  Grace was also a fantastic child for working with Bella.  Grace has gone to training classes as a volunteer to help dogs get used to kids. So Grace immediately understood the need for her to give Bella her food kibble quick after  sits and to follow my instruction on where to walk. There were a few times Bella jumped up suddenly at Grace but she would settle down and take rewards right from Grace's hand.  Grace even had Bella coming, downing, and sitting on command.  I think Bella even allowed Grace to pet her too!

Bella knows Grace has the goodies!

  I did not give Bella any additional medication - just the CALM diet.  I did keep the gentle leader on her with the drag line in the home. This was a good way to redirect Bella and put her in the areas that would give her more space with additional people in the house.  My friend also felt more secure with a barky, jumpy dog  in a head halter to have more control over the mouth.  The gentle leader head halter is not a muzzle and it does not mean Bella is failing to become a better dog.  It is a humane way to have control and safety when there are triggers for reactivity and possible aggression. We use head halters all the time on horses and cattle - it is not any different for your dog. 

This weekend Bella and I walked all around Meadowbrook Park in Urbana.  She was far less reactive to unknown people - many that would look her right in the eye as they walked past.  She would sit calmly and just be curious.  There were a few dogs on leash where she was barking and lunged out at one who did the same to her.  This is the first time between the horrible heat and available time I have had to take her to a busy park for counter conditioning.  She even laid and rested on the outside of the dog park and greeted a dog through the fence well.   So her progress continues.

I also made a few more videos that are posted on my you tube channel   http://www.youtube.com/user/drsallyjfoote?feature=results_mainand linked through my website  www.drsallyjfoote.com.   Barking like crazy 1 and 2.  I show how to set up a tether, rewards that are handy and use a dragline.  My dad, John Foote was a willing participant to show how to keep things safe and sane while someone is coming in the home with a walker.

I hope you have had a great summer, and please let me know how this information is helping you to know your pet.  I promise to have a post for our cat lovers next month featuring pain management in older cats for good behavior.
Take care!

Thank you Grace for helping Bella become a better dog

Bella's progress on CALM
Saturday June 23rd.
Bella has hit some major milestones this week.  One of the most frustrating things was  Bella would bark and lunge at other dogs when she was on leash unknown people, especially men, and big objects that rolled or made a lot of noise.  In the past, we could continue our walks with a zig zaggy way of avoidance to keep the space between her to these things big enough so she was not go bonkers.

The market is on a busy corner - with music too

  This morning was the first  trial of Bella out on a walk that would put her into the things that would set her off.  Although Bella would typically do anything for food, on a walk it does not  help her to be rewarded or relax. I have noticed at other times verbal praise, and instructing her  what she needs to do - sit, come, settle is more effective for her.  So this morning we walked up Main street towards Abundant Market day at Festival Corner just as  the vendors were setting up. We did not need the challenge of lots of people  coming up to her and try to pet her.  That I know would be too much.  A couple of dozen people taking big boxes out of vans, putting up tents, and making eye contact, saying hi  as we walked right by their booths.  This was enough of a trial. I figured it would be best to build on success rather than get frustrated with failure.

Bella is taking rewards as the dogs bark and one growls at her

On the way up, a friend who Bella does not see often  commented how calm she was.  She did bark and jump up once but immediately settled into a sit and calmly sat there as Ann and I talked.  This was big for Bella!!!!!  While she did not get an A grade on greeting, she has advanced to at least a C student rather than flunking stranger approach.   We continued  past the post office where hand carts full of mail were being loaded into the delivery cars.  Right next to this area was a fenced back yard with 2 dogs barking and running the fence line.  Bella was sniffing the grassy area right by the post office lot, and greeted the 2 dogs at the fence area without any reactivity.  This was a huge step for her.  We continued walking on to Ervin Park, past other walkers and one woman with her big chocolate lab on leash.  There was only one point where the lab was pulling towards Bella that Bella was turning and pulling but not barking and going bonkers.  She continued to pass others and doing well all the way home.

Later she was calmly taking a reward from a girl with lots of people, cars, bikes , etc!

She is observing people approaching 

One thing I notice in Bella is if she is staring to react, she will go into a  sit and if she can just observe what is going on she is more calm.  It 's as if she needs a little time to take it all in and see that nothing bad is going on.  When I continue to make her heel and walk past something upsetting it does not seem to help her see that it is not a problem.  For Bella a balance of heeling, sniff walking and getting her settled to observe is the first part of counter conditioning her to her fears.  This is level one of learning.  Get to a point of feeling neutral about stuff that used to be scary.

I will keep you posted as I work with her in more and more challenging situations and try out ways to help her be happy about  scary things.  Getting my daughter and husband to work with her is also a part of the plan.  We'll see how that goes!  I find this food  is helping her to be more calm so she can learn.  I think she will need to be on it a few months before any weaning off or adjusting the diet.  I am not clear if  all dogs need to stay on this lifelong, but if they did, that would not be any health problem.  Right now there is a $10 rebate through the company for CALM food which does help the pocket book.  You can go to the facebook page for the coupon.  We have the coupons printed out for you when you come in to purchase a bag.   

A great day for a market - we will come back for more learning

Bella is work, but she is worth it!

Have a great weekend! Dr. Sally J Foote CFBC-IAABC

Updates on CALM diet for dogs

So it has been another week with Bella on the CALM diet.  There have been some major milestones without really getting into any training or counter conditioning ( it has been busy, I am the only one at home really working on this, and after work I am just too tired at times to bother!).  The other day the neighbor was outside with his dog, just across the street.  The dog was barking at Bella which would have had her barking, pulling at the tie out, and just going nuts.  She ran to the edge of the yard, barked once and came to me as soon as I called her.  That was big.  

Unknown men would get her all worked up but now she is not nearly as concerned about them.  I was walking her up to work and a man was walking behind us by about 2-3 feet.  She turned to look at him 1-2 times but kept up on her heel and would focus on me.  In the past she would have been constantly twisting around, barking, hair raised.  Now she can take the command and be happy about heeling. 

This was the biggest achievement so far.  I was walking her in the neighborhood and she was sniffing at the edge of someones yard.  All of a sudden the pug, lab and another bigger dog came running down the yard barking at Bella.  She looked up and I turned her around where by she heeled with me to get across the street so we would not have any fur flying.  She heeled, looked at the other 3 dogs a time or 2 but would otherwise focus on me and follow the command to keep moving away.  Her reactivity to them was much reduced over her typical reaction which is especially good when you consider they were barreling down the yard at her.

I have put 2 cases I have recently seen on behavior consult on this food.  My techs call or email the clients on behavior consults at least once weekly checking up on progress.  I am eager to see  how this food is going to work with these cases.  One of the cases is on Clomipramine and the other is not on any other medications or supplements.  So we will see how other meds with this diet compare to this diet alone. 

Thanks for reading - now I want to find a cat case to get on the CALM.
Dr. Sally J Foote

Can a food help your dog calm down? Yes!

Bella learning how to be less agitated

Royal Canin diets recently released a new dry food for dogs and cats called CALM.  We had a presentation about it at our office about 3 weeks ago.  It certainly looked promising so I thought I would try it on my dog Bella since she still goes crazy barking at times..  I have posted about Bella in the past, and she has made a lot of progress over her 3 years, but I thought I would see if this food could help her focus better and be a bit less reactive at times.

Here is a  little back ground about the food.  This diet was developed by Royal Canin for dogs and cats that show signs of anxiety.  The diet is formulated for dogs under 44 lbs and cats of normal weight.  The food supplements vitamin b3, tryptophane and a milk protein calming complex.  I was curious to see if the food could make a difference in a dog larger than 44 lbs ( Bella weighs 49 lbs).  The levels of the supplements are appropriate for  dogs up to 44 lbs, but as dogs get larger the volume they do not eat that much more food so the supplement level is not likely to be enough to help.  So Bella is 5 lbs over the top limit, but I thought it would still be worth a try.

I started Bella at 50% CALM and 50% of her Science Diet k9 adult food for 5 days, then onto CALM 100%.  She has been on the CALM for 2 weeks.  The company says it may take up to 2 weeks to see a benefit.  I have been keeping a chart of how upset she gets - barking, lunging, and can not come when called when she sees other dogs, squirrels, and other triggers.

I happened to see her laying here patiently waiting for me

Within the first few days, Bella would only bark 3-4 times at noises outside and was not as ballistic over the neighborhood cat that hangs around.  She would come when called much more readily too. 1 week at 100% calm I am seeing more improvement.  She was able to walk past a home with a barking little dog in the yard and did not bark or pull at the leash wanting to get after that dog.  This morning my neighbor was walking down the alley as Bella played in the yard.  She stared barking but after just 2 or 3 barks she came to me when called which normally would have been very difficult.  In the mornings, she settles in her bed after eating and going out much more easily.

At times, Bella is still naughty or is still reactive.  She got a hold of the empty bag that was left on a counter and shredded it up.  Can I blame her? It must have smelled good and of course the shredding of the bag was fun. She also got off her harness when she got tangled up in the bushes the other day. At least her romp through the neighborhood was much shorter and she came to me when I called her much more readily than she has in the past. 

A well shredded bag of CALM - thanks Bella!

I will have to see how she continues to do on the CALM diet.  It is a bit pricey - suggested retail is about $50 for a 9 lb bag.  The cost of some supplements with the cost of dog food is about equal to the cost of this food.  Feeding a diet that can help your dog be less stressed and learn how to be less anxious in situations is far more convenient than medications.  As Bella learns she may not need to stay on this diet.  I will definitely keep you posted on her progress!

Bites worse than barks

Even in play, this is too rough 

Recently I have been seeing  behavior cases of aggressive dogs with different types of aggression . Huh? Isn't all aggression the same - the dog bites right?  No - not all aggression is  the same. There are different types and any dog is capable of biting for some reason.   What I am realizing is that few dog owners seem to understand  that all dogs, no matter how sweet, calm, tolerant or affectionate are possible biters. For the dog, biting is just the final straw of aggression - not the whole expression of it. 

bed fighting - resource guarding

First of all, let's define aggression.  Aggression is  threatening behavior ( growling, lunging,snarling, biting) directed at an object commonly the dog perceives this object as a threat..  Did you notice that aggression includes lots of  behaviors beyond just biting and breaking skin?  Dogs that are barking combined with, growling, lip lifting and lunging are aggressing.  All of these actions are to warn the object - person or other animal that they had better stay away or worse is going to come.  Predatory aggression is the one form that lacks many warning signs.  This instinctive type aggression needs to be very focused and silent - hence the danger. 

This crouched posture is common with predatory aggression - beware!

All aggression is not the same.  There are many different diagnostic categories of aggression. Some of the most common but each an individual type of aggression are inter dog ,territorial, food (resource guarding), heirarchy (used to be called dominant) , pain induced, unknown people, unknown places, conflict,irritability, sleep,play, and redirected to name a few.  So the sweetest dog in the world may bite when in a lot of pain, or when a food dish is nearby.  If a dog is presented for aggression screening, it must take place in many situations with various stimuli to really screen for the various types.  An exam in a veterinary hospital or shelter is not a complete screen. It is a partial one, and important at that, but if a dog has growled, lunged, chased, attempted to bite at all the situation must be reviewed for in that lies the triggers for that dog.

reward your dog as they get shots

Many dog owners seem to think of the teeth as tools for eating only.  Few owners realize all dogs have their most effective tool handy 100% of the time, ready for use - the teeth.  Veterinary staff will acknowledge that any dog can bite at any time.   It is really impressive that dogs don't bite humans more often when you consider all the ways we confuse, stress and force our dogs into things.  Veterinary examinations and grooming are 2 places where it is really stressful for the dogs.  Especially in veterinary clinics, we have to use rewards and ways of handling the pet to make the experience good for the pet.  At my office we only use rewarding handling for patient care.  This has dramatically reduced bites and aggression at the office.  Most importantly it is a way to show the client how to handle their pet safely and positively.  I have videos on youtube to see this in action video

Bella hated nails before rewarding

If your dog is growling, avoiding a situation, barking harshly and lunging even on leash - your dog is aggressing to keep something away.  Biting is just the icing on the cake so to speak.  The dog is scared and is throwing out warning signs to try to get help for itself - get the scary thing away.  Often it is a number of things that is leading the dog to become aggressive in that situation.  It can be all of the place, sounds, people, children, food or toy items that is building up the anxiety leading to aggression.    Learn  how to change the experience to a more positive - pleasant one for your dog.    Be sure there is not any medical problem bringing out the aggression.  Partner with your veterinarian to help your pet.   Yes it is possible to manage aggression. This is much  easier before any biting has happened.

not all dogs like hugs much!

Always be careful and considerate around any dog.  Don't suddenly take a toy or food away.  Avoid suddenly hugging your dog awake or asleep - this is startling!  If your dog has had ear infections, skin problems, teeth problems or arthritis they may feel grouchy if their problems and pain are not taken care of regularly.  So if your dog's ear is sore, he may growl as you pull the leash to get out for a walk. It does not mean he is bad - it means he is in pain.

I will post more about specific types of aggression in the future.  At least for now if everyone realizes even the best dog can bite it will be a better world for us and our dogs.
Thanks and please share this post to prevent dog bites!

I love these 2 yet I still take care around other dogs, food and when Butter's arthritis flares

remote play for your cat - twitch by Frolic cat

So Ranger is a product tester for cats.  We recently got a Twitch toy by Frolic Cat company.  This company makes some really great products that entice your cat into play while you are away.  Of course these toys can also turn on to "turn on" your kitty while you are home too - so if life is really crazy busy now you don't have to have the pet parent guilts.  There are wonderful people using remote control technology and automation to help provide interaction for your pet.

Here is the toy - this kitty is ready for play!

Ranger likes to bat this around and stretch the string

So here is the product - a suction cup based motorized animator ( for want of a better word) holds an elastic cord with a ball and feather type toy suspended.  A spring type bar suspends the cord with the toy over the edge of a table or counter edge.  When you start the button a chirping noise goes off for about 10 seconds then the springy bar bounces back and forth enticing your kitty to come and play.  The toy will continue for 10 minutes  and can be set for intermittent play for up to 4 hours.

 So, Ranger likes this one.  Granted he lives in a pretty interesting place.  Lots of people and pets are coming in every day.  He gets to go outside on walks once in a while, gets to chase  Mercy, watch the birds outside at our window feeder and gets loads of petting from clients.  He will play with it but it takes a bit of boredom to get him attracted to this.  If your cats are home alone, I think it would be a good toy to have.  It can be set to go off somewhat intermittently which is what keeps things interesting.  The ends of the toy can be changed so you can keep the play varied.

This toy is available online from the company http://www.frolicat.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=F&Product_Code=HC1  and I have seen some of the toys at local pet stores and Walmart.  For about $16 - $20 it is a great way to enhance the environment of your home.  There are other laser light toys also available from this company.  Making life fun and interesting for your cat is the best way to decrease fighting and crabbiness between cats and boredom for the single feline.  One of the hardest ways to get interactive play is to get the humans to play regularly with the cats. This is a way to provide play for the cat and convenience for the owners.   I strongly recommend cat owners to get a frolic cat toy.

Dr. Sally J Foote