Scottish Folds, Their Condos and Cat Trees
I remember the day I gave my Scottish Fold’s two-tiered cat condo away.
The condo had been Stanley’s for nearly a year. I bought it for several reasons. I figured it would provide double duty as a scratching post and it would provide an upgraded bed area. And it was nicer to look at than an old cardboard box.
At just a few weeks old, Stanley would have nothing to do with inside the box.
To provide a little history: When Stanley wasn’t sleeping next to me in bed, at first he slept in a small, rectangular wicker basket cuddled up next to Mr. Wolf. When Stanley could climb out of that basket, I traded it for a large wicker basket four times the height of the first one. This larger basket had rounded, concave sides making it more difficult for him to scale, but it really wasn’t long before he began to climb out of it, too. So, I made a bed out of a medium-sized cardboard box laid on its side so he could walk in and out at will. (Oh, that will of his.) I had a large towel draped over and around the box so the opening was only partially covered. He rarely spent time inside the box. Instead, he incessantly climbed up the towel onto the top of the box.
My thought was that maybe the inside of the box wasn’t cozy enough. That’s how the tiny cat condo came to replace the other daytime bed.
I set up the lowest enclosure with a bed for Stanley. Nice and private, soft and cozy. Great idea. Mr. Wolf loved it, but Stanley did not. In actuality, Stanley preferred to climb to the top open tier of the 20-inch high condo with Mr. Wolf in tow.
Stanley had shocked us when we discovered he’d climbed to the top of his bed made from a towel-covered box; he was so tiny, we were amazed he could climb like that at such a young age.
Stanley in seventh heaven, up “high” on his condo at three months old.
Well, again, we were amazed he was able to climb to the top of his condo that towered above him – especially with Mr. Wolf. With both “beds”, Stanley preferred to rest on top, not inside. Hmm.
Eight months old and still loving his condo . . . two months later, the condo was still shrinking.
So, to get on with the story . . . Stanley had used this little condo until it looked like he would fall off the top tier when he curled up on it. He could no longer stretch out on his back, which was his preferred sleeping method. Instead, he could only curl up on the round top, spilling over the edges.
My step daughter, Sarah, had adopted a stray kitten and had no scratching post or condo, so I thought I’d get larger accommodations for Stanley and donate the condo to Sarah. I did just that after we purchased a replacement for Stanley. I placed the six-foot, multi-leveled cat tree in the same spot as Stanley’s beloved, now miniature, condo and moved the condo by the front door waiting for Sarah to pick it up. Stanley ignored the tree and slept on the condo by the door.
Sarah’s kitten loved the condo. Stanley did not appreciate the change. He searched for days for his condo. Walking all around the house, he acted forlorn and continuing to refuse to go near the condo’s replacement. I felt pretty bad that I’d taken away his condo before he was ready.