Abbie in Wonderland

The picture on the bottom is my kitty, Abbie, hiding in pillows on my bed. She's a very sweet cat, very loving and affectionate. However, she is still a cat with cat habits. On the top is a picture of a great footstool my Mom bought for me. It really is fun. Reminds me of something out of "Alice in Wonderland". The issue? It is leather, and cats love to sharpen their claws on leather, or so I've been told and have since observed. I came home one day and caught Abbie on top of it sharpening with everything she had. Screaming "NO!" at her just scared her. And I've had to keep the stool protected ever since, and keep Abbie away from my Mom who would like to strangle her (not really, but she is disappointed).

Yesterday I went to PetsMart on the hunt for just the right scratching post for Abbie. She doesn't use the regular carpet posts. I've tried everything with this kitty. She's fussy about what she uses. Well, I found a scratch mat that lays on the ground and is made of sisel, which is a thick scratchy fabric used mostly for garden hats. It also has catnip in it to attract her. As I was looking at these, an employee asked me if he could help me. I said I was looking for a scratcher for my cat. He said, "what are you trying to do?" Good question, because people mostly get scratching posts to stop a problem or potential problem. I told him I was trying save my kitty Kat's life. Long story short, I brought the scratch mat home and Abbie took to it great, even hiding under it for a minute.

Here's the problem. The instructions said that the mat should be stored away from animals when not in use. What?! How am I supposed to know when she's going to use it. I can't remember Abbie sharpening her claws on a schedule, nor have I noticed a watch on her paw that she can look at to tell her when it's time to use the mat. Abbie has, and likely always will, operated on her own schedule. I think I'll leave the mat on the floor for her use as she sees fit!