The Basics
We want to make ordering your Hicat® as simple as possible so we’ve put together the following notes for guidance along with some conditions, which form our terms of service
Before Ordering
The Overview section is the place to start for an introduction to what we do & how we do it - our Pricing page includes all of our bespoke & shop products.
Referring to the Buying Guide section before placing an order is a good move as it contains lots of advice on specifying your Hicat® - you may want to refer to our FAQs section if you can't find what you're looking for in the Customer Notes section.
We also have a section on Measuring Up with helpful tips & step-by-step instructions on installing your Hicat® in the Installation section.
Order Your Hicat®
Hicat® products are made-to-order using the forms at the bottom of the product pages in the Bespoke Cat Furniture section of the website & you can customise your Hicat® in terms of compartment configuration, features & options - standard weekday delivery to the UK is included with delivery supplements to Non-UK destinations calculated as part of the order confirmation.
More Bespoke
You also have the opportunity to customise your made-to-order Hicat® even further with more bespoke features, finishes & unit options or even come up with your own one-of-a-kind Hicat® - use the Makers Notes section on the order forms to request your requirements along with any additional products or instructions.
Online Shop
SixToo™, Catapilla™, Scraaatch™ & Cat Wall™ items along with Stock Items & Accessories are available to purchase online - shipping to the UK, EU & a limited number of Worldwide destinations is calculated at checkout.
Sample Requests
We've done our best to illustrate carpet colours as close as possible but if you would like to see our finishes in the flesh please get in touch & we will be happy to send out samples.
Payment
We accept card payments for orders & online purchases along with bank transfers for UK orders - gift cards are also available to use against online purchases & orders.
Discounts
We offer Returning Customer & Advanced Order discounts along with a special discount for individuals who work within an animal welfare association or charity so please see our Ordering page for more information - we also have a unique discount that is applied to orders that are paid for using just Gift Cards over a 4 month period or more.
Delivery
Delivery to the UK is included for our made-to-order units & within 2-4 weeks from payment - Advanced Orders are fulfilled within 10 weeks from payment.
Worldwide Delivery
We ship worldwide & can advise on shipping before placing your order - you can request a Delivery Quote for Hicat® orders or any of our online products & accessories.
Installation
Hicat® units come complete with an installation pack containing bits, fixings & tools so all you will need to install your floor-to-ceiling Hicat® is a stepladder, pencil & drill.
Viewing Our Products
We always have some sample units on display at our London studio so if you want to visit us to have a look at what we do & how we do it please get in touch to arrange a viewing using the Studio Visit form in the Contact section.
Measuring Up
Measuring up is simple once you've decided on where to position your unit & we recommend that you refer to our Buying Guide section for some guidance on the best spot for your Hicat®
Proposed Position
Once you've settled on the position for your Hicat® take the measurement at that spot as ceiling heights aren't always consistent across a single room - if you think you may want to change the position of your Hicat® over time then use the lowest ceiling height measurement in the room as we can always send out longer ceiling connectors & feet to fill in 1-2cm differences in ceiling heights.
Measuring Technique
Using a steel retractable type tape measure, place the body of the tape measure on the floor & extend the tape to the ceiling making sure that you keep a vertical line when taking the measurement & add the size of the tape measure body to the dimension taken - the body dimension to add will normally be noted on the side of the tape measure for reference.
Ceiling Height Measurement
Take a few floor-to-ceiling measurements in the spot you've chosen & use the smallest one as your ceiling height as this is likely to be the most accurate.
Laser Tape Measure
Using a laser tap measure is the best way to get the ceiling measurement spot on so it’s worth asking around family & friends to see if there’s one that can be borrowed - they can also be purchased on line starting at around £10 & even if you only use it once you will still have laser pointer toy for your cat to chase.
Carpeted Floors
To help get a more accurate measurement make sure that you press the body of the tape measure into the pile of the carpet as much as you can whilst taking the measurement - this will allow for the fact that the carpet will compress under the weight of the Hicat® when installed.
Built-up Floors & Extra Thick Underlay
Really thick underlay can compress down over time & floors built up with boards or old floor boards can also give under the weight of our units so if you feel movement in the floor when measuring it's best to have someone stand in the proposed position of the Hicat® when taking the measurement to get a more representative reading.
Production Tolerances
Your supplied ceiling measurement needs to be accurate to within half a centimetre i.e. 5mm then we build in a height reduction to our floor-to-ceiling units, which allows for ceiling clearance during installation.
Access Arrangements
While you've got your tape measure to hand check your access making sure that you have enough height & turning space to manoeuvre your Hicat® into its proposed location in your home - please remember that Hicat® units are made-to-measure so we cannot accept any customer returns due to incorrect measuring or that are simply too big to get into your home.
Ordering
Hicat® products are made-to-measure using the forms at the bottom of the product pages - standard weekday delivery to the UK is included in our made-to-measure pricing with delivery supplements to non-UK destinations calculated as part of the order confirmation or you can request a Delivery Quote before placing your order
Returning Customer Discount
When you purchase a made-to-order item you’re be entitled to a 5% discount on future purchases - if you are a returning customer who made a purchase before this offer was made live please get in touch before making a purchase & we can advise on a discount code.
Advanced Order Discount
We fulfil orders within 2-4 weeks but if you're happy to wait longer for your Hicat® you can place an Advanced Order & receive a 5% discount on your purchase (excluding shipping, stock items & accessories) - Advanced Orders are planned for production 8 weeks from payment so expect to receive your Hicat® within 10 weeks.
Gift Card Discount
If you’re using just Gift Cards to save up for a made-to-order purchase over 4 months or longer we will apply a 10% discount to your upcoming purchase to make the big day even bigger when it finally comes around - use the order form at the bottom of the product pages to make your dream Hicat® a reality.
Welfare Association & Charity Discount
if you work within an animal welfare association or charity we are also happy to give you a discount so again please get in touch & we can advise on a discount.
Incremental Pricing
Because our units are made-to-measure we apply an incremental price adjustment (up & down) to the unit prices shown based on ceiling height so please expect to see a variation in price when you order unless your ceiling height is within the 2400-2499mm ceiling dimension used as our guide unit price.
Delivery Supplement
UK delivery for mainland orders under 2400mm in length is built into our standard price list so we make an allowance against this standard delivery when orders are +2400mm in length, non-UK mainland or international - we shop around for the best shipping price then deduct the UK delivery cost from this quote.
Delivery Surcharge
Our online shop pricing is based on shipping your order to a UK mainland or non-remote international address - in the event that a delivery address attracts a non-mainland or remote international charge we will notify the customer of the additional fees & if the charges are not acceptable will make a full refund against the online purchase.
European Delivery
As a guide delivery to most European countries is £90-150 in addition to the UK pricing for a 2400-2499mm high Tomcat or Fatcat unit.
Delivery To The United States
We have lots of enquiries from the USA asking for shipping quotes & we are happy to provide these but the delivery supplement can be high if you don't live near a major city - typically the delivery cost is between £300-£400 in addition to the UK pricing for 2400-2499mm high Tomcat or Fatcat unit.
Delivery To Asia, Australasia & Other Far Away Places
We can advise on shipping quotes but based on experience, the price for delivery can be very high when compared to the cost of the unit - this is obviously very disappointing for the customers & cats making these enquiries.
Import Duties, Charges & Local Taxes
Please remember that import duties, charges & local taxes will also be due when ordering from outside of the UK - if you are considering importing a unit there is a handy Duty Calculator tool that you can use to get an estimate on the total cost of importing a Hicat® unit.
Order Acknowledgement
Once you've made submitted your order you'll receive an email acknowledgement - if you don't receive an email straight away you may want to check your junk mail folder as it may have been treated as spam mail & quarantined by your email client.
Order Confirmation
After we’ve reviewed your order you'll receive an email confirmation, which will include a diagram of your unit & confirm your specification with pricing, bespoke requests & delivery supplement where applicable together with your preferred payment request - this is normally within 1 working day of submitting your order.
Shop Purchases
SixToo™, Catapilla™, Scraaatch™ & Cat Wall™ made-to-order items along with stock & accessories are available to purchase online - UK delivery is added at checkout based on item weight & priced using Royal Mail services for smaller item & courier rates for made-to-order or Stock Items.
Payment
Payment for orders & online shop purchases are made by credit/debit card at our store checkout - if you are based in the UK you also have the option of payment by bank transfer
Credit & Debit Card Payments
We use Stripe to process our checkout credit & debit card payments - Stripe have been audited by a PCI-certified auditor & is certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1, which is the most stringent level of certification available in the payments industry.
Apple Pay
If you are making payment on an Apple device Apple Pay will be the default payment method but you do have the option of selecting checkout by credit/debit card as well.
PayPal
We can also accept PayPal as an option to our Stripe card payment checkout however, we will need to apply a 2% fee to the price of your order to cover the additional administration & PayPal charges.
Gift Cards
Gift Cards can be used for made-to-order & online purchases in full or part with card payment - Gift Cards never expire & hold their balance if only partially used.
Bank Transfers
Bank transfer is available as a payment option for UK customers & our bank details will be confirmed on your order page along with a payment reference - just to note we include some freebies e.g. cushions or toys, when this payment option is selected as we don’t incur card merchant fees for bank transfer so this saving is passed on to the customer.
Non-UK Bank Transfers
Because of international charges that are applied to bank transfers the best & most economical way of making a payment from outside of the UK is by debit/credit card & therefore, we only offer bank transfer payment options to non-UK customers as a last resort if credit card processing is an issue but all charges must be paid by the customer otherwise we can't proceed with the order.
Payment Receipt
After making an online purchase or payment against an order you'll receive an email receipt, which summarises your purchase & contains a link to our installation page.
Payment Problems
From time-to-time we do get a customer who has had their card payment declined when trying to make an online purchase - this is normally down to the card issuer intervening because the purchase is an international payment so a quick call to them by the card holder will sort out the problem.
Delivery
Delivery to the UK is included in our pricing & orders fulfilled within 2-4 weeks from payment with Advanced Orders fulfilled within 10 weeks - online stock & accessories are despatched within 2 working days
Packaging
All units are despatched sealed in plastic wrapping plus Tomcat & Fatcat units are mounted & strapped to transit cradles, Polecat has protective sleeves.
UK Deliveries
We use a courier for our standard deliveries & units are dispatched on a next working day service - we will email tracking details after your order has been dispatched.
Deliveries To Europe & Beyond
These are fulfilled using a door-to-door courier on a 2-6 working day service & again we will send a tracking number after your order has been despatched.
Online Purchases
Scraaatch™, Catapilla™ & Cat Wall™ made-to-order purchases are fulfilled within 20 working days with stock & accessories despatched within 2 working days.
Taking Delivery
It's important that someone is at home to receive your delivery otherwise our courier may apply a handling charge after a number of failed delivery attempts - depending on the courier a card will be left or instructions emailed for you to re-arrange delivery.
Signing For Your Hicat®
When your order arrives you may be asked to sign for your delivery - if you are unable to unpack & check your order please sign for it as “unchecked”.
Courier Delivery Options
Couriers may give you the option to have your order left in a safe place or with neighbour but we strongly advise against this because if your order is damaged or incomplete we will be unable to compensate you.
Damage To Packaging
Whether you are asked to sign or not if your order has signs of damage to the packaging please take photos before unpacking.
Accidents Can Happen
If your Hicat® is not in perfect condition when it arrives or your order is missing items please get in touch immediately & we will do our best to get things resolved as quickly as possible - please do not dispose of any packaging or wrapping until we’ve advised you that it’s OK to do so.
Assisted Deliveries
Please note that unless you have arranged for an assisted delivery the driver may only handle your delivery to the main front door of your building - if you live in a residential block or have flights of stairs to climb with your delivery it's best to have some help on hand.
Returns
Hicat® climbers are made-to-measure so we cannot accept any customer returns or refunds due to incorrect measuring, specification or that are simply too big to get into your home - items that are not made-to-measure or bespoke can be returned along with stock items & accessories if they are in an unused condition
Made-To-Order
We can’t accept returns for made-to-measure or bespoke pieces - sorry.
Stock & Accessories
We can accept returns for stock & accessory items within 30 days from delivery - return postage must be paid by the sender & products should be returned in the original packaging in an unused condition.
Scraaatch™, Catapilla™ & Cat Wall™
We can also accept returns for these made-to-order items within 30 days from delivery - custom or bespoke products can not normally be returned, however we will look at this on an item-by-item basis to see if we can take the order back as stock.
Refunds
Once your return has been checked we will issue a refund less any card processing charges made during payment - this refund will be made back to the payment method used to make your purchase & is normally complete within 5 working days.
Gift Cards
Unused Gift Cards can also be refunded - please get in touch to request a refund noting that payment can only be made back to the person who made the Gift Card purchase.
Warranty
If in the unlikely event that your product has defects or suffers from poor workmanship your order will be replaced ASAP at our cost.
Defects do not include irregularities in the materials used such as knots, weave debris & pattern, finish or colour - these factors are out of our control.
Installation
Hicat® units come complete with an Install pack containing bits, fixings & tools so all you will need to install your floor-to-ceiling Hicat® is a stepladder, large crosshead screwdriver, pencil & drill - there are online assembly & install instructions for all of our products below
Before The Fun Starts
We give our units a clean before they leave us but after unpacking your Hicat® we recommend giving the unit a good vacuum inside & out to remove any loose fibres that may have been missed - the same applies to SixToo™, Catapilla™ & best to give Cat Wall™ panels a quick once over as well.
Two Pairs Of Hands Are Better Than One
Manoeuvring larger & heavier Tomcat & Fatcat units into place can be tricky if you're on your own so we would recommend getting some help when installing these units - freestanding pieces can also weigh up to 70kg so again another pair of hands is a good move to help you assemble your Hicat®.
What’s Included
All of our units come with the necessary bits & fixings to install or assemble them - please visit the individual product pages for information on the specific tools & equipment required to carry out the install or assembly.
Bobcat, Scraaatch™, SixToo™ need to have ballast added to stop them from toppling or moving - please visit the individual product pages for more information noting that kiln dried paving sand is best & this can be purchased from your local DIY store, builders merchant or garden centre for around £6-8 for a 20kg bag.
There is also the option of purchasing a Wall Fixing Kit to install your SixToo™ & Catapilla™ instead of a using ballast or a Base - follow the instructions for the Wall Mounted Fatcat install for this option.
Install & Assembly Instructions
Bobcat
Wall Mounted Polecat
Wall Mounted Tomcat & Fatcat
Freestanding Tomcat & Fatcat
Bespoke Features & Options
There are separate install & assembly instructions for all of our bespoke features & options including Acrylics End Caps, Two Piece Units, Wall Shelves, Ceiling Mounting Disc & Ceiling Clamping Kit & Upside Down Units.
Please visit our Bespoke Install page for instructions.
Safety First
It's important that you read the installation instructions paying careful attention to the safety notes & make sure that your Hicat® is correctly installed & stable before you allow your cat/cats to play on it.
Playtime
Before letting your cats loose on their Hicat® we recommend giving your unit a thorough vacuum inside & out - we do our best to clean the units before they leave us but there will be small residual coir fibres on the units, which will make a mess if not removed but more importantly could cause irritation to your cats
Don't Panic
If your cat doesn't make an immediate dash for the top of your Hicat® they may need some enticing - if their go to laser pointer, wand teaser or just some string don’t get them rocketing on, off & around your Hicat® you may want to think about ordering one of our Hicatch Velcro® toys as an option or get your hands on one of our Stick Thingys.
Supervision
We've made recommendations on how to setup your Hicat® in the Buying Guide section but please make sure your cat is comfortable using the higher Access Holes on our units before leaving them unsupervised.
Regular Inspections
Just to be on the safe side we would suggest giving your Hicat® a quick once over from time to time to make sure that the unit is secure & stable.
Coir Care
Coir finishes are 100% natural & don't carry any preservatives or finishing treatments so colours will fade over time, particularly if placed in direct sunlight - if a section becomes soiled this is best treated by using a soft brush with a little warm water (do not soak the unit) & mild detergent.
Wool Care
Like coir, wool finishes are untreated but they won’t fade over time - cleaning is the same as coir noting that are4as that have become felted can be trimmed by carefully cutting back with an electric shaver or scissors.
Twist Pile Care
The Twist Pile finishes are synthetic so won't fade & are stain resistant - soiling can be treated as per our coir finish but scrubbing can be more vigorous & cleaning products, including diluted bleach, used as long as the unit is not soaked.
Accessory Care
The Hicatch Velcro® band & Soft Seat Cat’s Cradles can be cleaned using a lint roller - soiled Soft Seat felt accessories can be cleaned on a cold delicate/gentle machine wash then air dried but may shrink so it’s best to hand wash in cold water, squeezing the felt like a sponge, rather than rubbing or scrubbing, as this may cause the felt to pile or fuzz.
Wear & Tear
Do expect to see some signs of use over time especially if the Hicat® is being put through its paces in a home with more than one cat - surfaces will become marked if your cat has a favourite scratching spot & strands can fray around the Access Holes, Peep Holes or seams but these are easily fixed with a touch of glue or trim up with some scissors.
Scratching
Hicat® units are meant to be used for scratching as well as climbing but to help with Hicat® maintenance we think it's a good idea to have other scratching options available to your cat - this will help prolong the look of your unit but also give your cat choices & is especially true for multi-cat households as each cat will probably have its own favourite scratching routine.
Pad & Fat Pad Fabric Care
Cushion covers can be removed & either dry cleaned or washed at 40° then laid out flat to dry - you may see 3-5% shrinkage after cleaning, which is normal for this type of fabric.
Hicatch Care
The Hicatch band is made of looped Velcro® fabric, which can be cleaned with a stiff brush - the hooked Velcro® dots on the darts do attract small fibres & hair, which needs to be picked off the dots to keep them in tip top form.
Feedback
We've really loved watching our cats play on their Hicat® units & it's always fantastic to hear & see how other cats get on - if you can drop us an e-mail (with a photo or two) to share your experience with our products it would be really great to hear from you.