By Sandra Kraisirideja.
4/14/2000
How does your product help cat owners maintain a balance between
the pet's needs and their needs to protect the furniture? All
cats have a biological need to scratch. It's an instinctual marking
of territory, as well as a way to shed old nails and stretch muscle
groups. Cats SHOULD scratch, but not on furniture. We feel that
Sticky Paws For Furniture regulates where they scratch, which is
actually all any cat owner should do. Trying to stop the behavior
all together is cruel, and don't even get me started on declawing.
Describe in general terms how your product works and what led
to its design. Sticky Paws is a double-sided adhesive product
that is put anywhere a cat has been scratching. Cats hate the way
the adhesive feels on their paws. They touch it once, and never
come back. I realized that cats would stay away from certain textures
when I was living in LA with my cat, Buddy.
I put everything from Saran Wrap to tin foil on my furniture, which
worked to some extent, but didn't look very good. After I'd moved
back to Texas, I was telling my friend, Frank Wolfe, about the scratching
problem I was having. I mentioned that I was trying out different
ideas for something that would go on furniture easily, and repel
cats because of it's tacky surface, and he became intrigued with
the challenge. Within a month, he'd come up with a great application,
and Sticky Paws For Furniture was born. Frank and I then formed
Fe-Lines, Inc., and I guess the rest is history!
Why should a consumer use your product instead of a "home-grown"
solution like using a spray bottle to keep the cat from scratching
where it shouldn't be? Home grown solutions like spraying cats
with water or using two sided tape that can be purchased in the
market place, doesn't work for two reasons: Spraying is great while
you're there. Cats aren't stupid. You leave, they scratch. Commercially
available two-sided tape isn't user friendly. If you've ever dealt
with it, it's really frustrating. Also, commercial tape is rubber
based and leaves a residue on fabric. Sticky Paws is specially formulated
to come off cleanly with no yellowing. Also, Sticky Paws is water-soluble,
non-toxic, and odor free.
List some training tips that retailers can pass on to their
customers when discussing your product. We always tell customers
that they don't need to wrap a couch in Sticky Paws for it to work.
Small strips put in strategic places are best, because the cat immediately
makes a visual connection with Sticky Paws as soon as he touches
it. From that point on, where ever he sees the product, he avoids
it. People should also have scratching posts placed around areas
where the cat scratched before, but because of Sticky Paws, now
can't. Cats make the adjustment from furniture to post very well.
I consider the post the best positive reinforcement you can give.
Do cat scratch deterrents fall into different categories? If
yes, what are they, and which category does your product fall under?
Cat scratch deterrents fall into two basic categories: Ones that
work, and ones that don't. Other than scratching posts, we feel
Sticky Paws is the only viable cat scratching deterrent currently
on the market. It's affordable, easy to use, and doesn't hurt your
cat or your furniture.
Have sales of your product increased in recent years? How do
you explain this increase? Sales for Sticky Paws has increased
dramatically every year we've been in business! The reason is simple.
Up until now, there has really been nothing that worked to keep
cats from scratching furniture, walls, carpeting or drapes, other
than declawing. When cat owners see a product with a premise that
makes sense they tell their friends. When they try it and realize
it WORKS, they not only tell their friends, they come back for more.
Also, we were cited by CATFANCY Magazine for best
new product, and have recently been approved by the American Society
For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals. These are organizations
that conscientious pet owners trust.
Do you have any suggestions for retailers who would like to
display/sell your product? My only suggestion for retailers
would like to sell Sticky Paws is to get it in their stores as fast
as possible! We sell it with clip strips and also in a 24 pack Point
of Purchase display that sits on the counter. We also recommend
that the product be sold and displayed in conjunction with scratching
posts. Make sure that all employees know exactly how this product
works and where it's located in the store, because people ask about
scratching deterrents constantly. Fe-Lines also supplies a free
demo video, which tells employees everything anyone would want to
know about the product, it's application, etc. If the store has
a VCR player, we also supply a free loop video so customers can
watch it while shopping. You can't believe the amount of mail we
get from grateful customers, and my retail stores are pretty darned
happy, too!
- end -
Fe-Lines,
Inc. is a company specializing in a humane and innovative product
line that solves pet related problems previously overlooked by the
pet industry.
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