Whew! Sorry for taking so long to get to the grand prize winner in the Cats Climbing High Challenge, but I had to look at more than 1,000 cute cat photos (I love my job!) It’s no surprise that there were tons of amazing photos to choose from, and I just couldn’t pick, so I’m going to let you choose! I’ve narrowed it down to seven finalists and everyone will have one week to vote. The photo with the most votes wins the grand prize, a $300 shopping spree at ContempoCat.com!
But wait, there’s more! ContempoCat has decided that all the finalists deserve something! The photo in 2nd place will get a $200 gift certificate, 3rd place will get $100, and 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th place will each get $25. Thank you ContempoCat!
Voting will take place now through midnight on Saturday, August 16, 2014. You will be allowed one vote per computer per 24 hour period, which means you can vote for your favorite every day!
ContempoCat wants to thank everyone who participated in the Cats Climbing High Challenge! And don’t forget, if you already claimed your prize, you should have received two more coupon codes that will expire on 9/30/14 so make sure to take advantage of the savings!
Also, we’d LOVE to see photos of your cats using their new shelves, so please upload to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and be sure to use the hashtags #CatsClimbingHigh #Catification #ContempoCat #Hauspanther. You can also submit them directly to me using our project submission form.
CATS CLIMBING HIGH PHOTO GALLERY
Of course I wish everyone could be a finalist, it was really hard to pick, there were so many awesome photos! As I sorted through them all, I found some really interesting trends that illustrate a cat’s natural instinct to climb. Remember, cats are naturally both predator and prey, so this affects how they view their environment, and being up off the ground gives them a better perspective from which to survey their territory. Some cats like to be just off the ground, some like to be at mid-level, while others prefer to be way up in the rafters. Take a look at these awesome photos submitted by readers that show different ways cats like to climb high.
Bookshelves
If you don’t give your cats a place to climb, they will make due with what’s available! Bookshelves make perfect cat climbing structures, whether or not you agree. Think about clearing off the top and giving kitty access via a cat tree or some wall steps, then let her enjoy her new Catified space. Add a bed on top to make a cozy destination. Make sure to secure your bookshelves to the wall to make them more stable, a good idea regardless of whether or not kitty will be using them to climb.
Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets, or any other cabinet that’s attached to the wall, usually have a space on top that’s like heaven for a cat. Way up by the ceiling, they can hangout and pretend to be a wildcat up in a tree, keeping an eye on their domain. Again, clear off these areas, give kitty an easy way to get up and down, and add a bed or sisal mat. Make sure to avoid creating dead ends! Add multiple entrances and exits, especially in a multi-cat household.
Refrigerator
Of course, the top of the refrigerator is a favorite spot for cats to hang out, plus it’s usually a great access point to the top of the cabinets.
Not too high, please!
Some cats don’t like to be up too high. These cats might prefer to lounge on tables, chairs and other furniture.
A little higher…
The back of the sofa or the top of a chair are other favorite cat hangouts. This gets them just a little higher in the room, and gives them a place to perch that’s near where you are sitting. My cats use the back of the sofa as part of their superhighway.
Cat Trees
Some cats are lucky enough to have their own cat tree. Placement of a cat tree is critical in getting cats to use it. Try putting it in front of a window, near where you sit to watch TV or read, or by your desk. They should be using it in no time! Also, cat trees are great for giving kitty access to the top of a bookshelf or other surface. Think about strategic placement.
And don’t forget, there’s a cat tree for every style!
Windows
Cats will always climb up to a window to get a good look at the world outside. This is prime real estate for watching Cat TV! If your house doesn’t have windowsills that are deep enough to accommodate your cat comfortably, consider adding a perch or ledge underneath the window. You could even just place a table or low shelf in front of the window, or of course, a cat tree!
Doors
Not the safest option, but more adventurous cats sometimes like to climb to the tops of doors! If your cat is doing this, she’s probably trying to tell you she needs some Catification!
Ladders
Kitty says “Well, I’ve seen you use this thing to climb high, I’ll try it too!” Again, not such a safe choice, so watch out when you’ve got the ladder out and give your cat some safer options.
Screens
Another behavior that can be discouraged with Catification, screen climbing is a popular extreme kitty sport.
Humans
And if there really are no other options…
Cats climb the weirdest things!
When left to their own devices, cats will climb anything! So make sure they have safe alternatives that expand their territory and enrich their environment. You know where to find more ideas, coming soon! 😉
Mia and Romy! It’s so fun to see my babies on the site even though they aren’t finalists ^_^
How do you vote? No buttons to press, and I can see the number of votes the photos have received so far.
Hi, Beth:
Is it possible that someone else could have already voted from your computer? Do you share it with someone?
I haven’t voted since last night and I can’t vote either. I’m the only one using this computer.
I’m not given the option to vote either, only the results so far. No one uses my laptop but me and I have not voted ever.
How to vote, when every one of them deserves a vote?!! (Message to Beth posting before me: Look no farther than your feline contingent! >^^< 😉 )
Wow, thanks Kate! So excited–and honored–to be one of the finalists That’s our Dawn in photo #1.To get to that spot on the windowsill, she had to climb onto the back of a chair, jump onto the bookcase you see in the background, and then step onto the sill.
She was so happy to be there, until she realized there was a downside to her position. The sill is so narrow, she can’t turn around, so she has to leap all the way to the floor. Seems like a perfect spot to catify; if we win, I’d use our certificate to get a shelf so Dawn can be more comfortable up there…and be able to get down a little easier.
Thanks so much!
Purrs (and wags) from Life with Dogs and Cats
Photo #2 is our currently 17 month old cat Rara. At the time of the photo she was around 9 months old. She had to climb all the way up there on the outside of the railing since there isn’t enough space to crawl through the bars of the railing even for her skinny butt. We didn’t realize what she’d done until she realized that she was stuck and starting mewing at us to rescue her. We had to hold out our arms and get her to jump into them in order to get her down. We thought that she was going to go after the Christmas tree, but turns out she just wanted a better view of us putting the ornaments on the tree.