The Rocky Cat Activity Centre > Reviews (1)

Cat Lover?

I think by now, most people who read my reviews will know that I am a cat lover and have written reviews about toys and implements I have purchased for my pampered pussies. Now, with the addition of our fourth cat (yes another one) Dexter, who is now almost 9 months old it was time to splash out and but some new toys.

The other three cats - Dude (8), Geezer (7) and Asbo who is now almost 3 years old, the age difference between them all is quite big and more so now that Dude likes to have his cat naps which can last from a few minutes to a few hours or longer and if you can get Dexter to sit still for 5 minutes you are doing well! So with that in mind I thought it was important, in a house full of cats, for him to have his own toys and games to play with, not only will this keep him occupied, but hopefully tire him out. Its important to note that with such an age difference, Dexter would need to be kept occupied so Dude and the other cats can sleep after being outside for long periods of time, whereas Dexter is still an indoor cat until he is over a year old and I am confident he knows the area.

To itch or scratch?

Over the years we have had an assortment of climbing posts and scratching posts which have come in all different shapes and sizes, some bigger than others and some a little more sturdy than others. Whatever you buy you need to take into consideration how old your cat is, how lively they are and how big they are because every cat I have had, has grown at a different pace. The reason I always have a cat scratching post is because Cats like to mark their territory and they can do this in many ways whether it is spaying certain areas or scratching, an action that they use to threaten other cats. Scratching for cats is a natural thing to do, they do it during play or when they stretch out, and more often than not, cats use scratching to get rid of their old nails so that new, sharper nails can arise.

If cats have nowhere to scratch, then they can cause damage to your furniture, curtains, sofa, tables and anything else they can literally get their claws into, so if you want to keep your belongings scratch free, then you need to find a way preventing your cat from doing this and the best way I have found, is with a scratching post.

Dexter gets a new toy

Dexter is the fastest growing kitten we have had and already he is as big as Asbo who is almost three years older. So, when deciding which scratching post to purchase for Dexter, I opted for one which I knew Asbo could also use and the reason I chose it is simply because I read the following:

"Is your puss a bit of an adventurer? Loves to jump about and attack anything dangling? If yes, then the Rocky Cat Activity Centre has been designed with your furry friend in mind! With three levels, four sisal covered posts and two dangling toys, this activity centre will keep your cat occupied for hours, and when it all gets too much, there is a great hidey hole for a well earned rest'.

This product is called 'The Rocky Cat Activity Centre', quite an apt name for a very active kitten, and I bought it from Petplanet during a sale for £19.

99 when it usually retails at £28.99 but unless you are spending £29 or more, delivery is priced at £3.99 and by a tracked courier.

Woo it has arrived

The product itself arrives in a huge cardboard box, all very securely wrapped and inside the box is a set of instructions telling you how to put your scratching post together. There are 7 parts to this scratching post, all of which, when following instructions is a simple process of screwing one part into another and within 5-10 minutes you will have assembled your scratching post, assuming you don't have your cat or cats attempting to jump onto their new at every opportunity whilst you are building it.

Once it has been constructed, it stands around 85cm (34 inches) tall and at its widest point is 40cm (16 inches) wide. It is made up of a base which is square and between the two legs which are called Sisal legs, meaning they are designed to encourage your cat to scratch them with their claws, is a tunnel for them to run in and out of and hide in as mine do. Then there is the middle tier, which again has a square base and from that there are two twos which dangle above and below them to make playtime fun and then a third tier, again with a smaller square base which Dexter launches himself off, onto any of the other cats who happen to walk past without spotting him. Each of the square bases are slightly smaller in size then the one below and to touch they are quite furry to the touch and quite soft for your cat to lie on. Thankfully with all the jumping about Dexter seems to do, this product is robust enough to deal with him and having owned it for just over 4 months now, it is still in almost perfect condition, the only thing I have had to do is re-attach one of the danging toys which Dexter pulled off having chewed through the elastic.

Tired yet?

So with three tiers of fun, Dexter never stops playing with this scratching post. I am lucky that none of my cats have ever tried to claw at my furniture, but I have always had some form of post for them to scratch at and do whatever it is they want to do with it. Whether he is jumping from the top, hiding in the tunnel or chasing and batting the danging toys around, he loves it. Then when he does eventually tire himself out, he does like to curl up and sleep around the post on the middle tier.

Value for money?

This is perhaps the best toy we have ever owned for our cats, Dexter simply loves it and it keeps him occupied for hours on end. He can play with it, jump on and off it, sleep on it, hide in it and for the price I paid it is a totalt bargain and it has lasted really well so far considering he plays on or with parts of it every single day.

So I do recommend this activity centre as it is described simply because I can see how happy it makes Dexter and the other cats who also happen to use it with their claws on it, should they be allowed.

If you look in the pictures supplied with this review you will see one very tired, but peaceful looking Dexter!