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 these 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 noting that we’ve also washed Pads complete with cushion then tumble dried them & this also worked for us.
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.
Soft Seat Care
Felt Soft Seats can be cleaned with a lint roller or stiff brush - they can also be spot cleaned using a soft brush being careful not to cause piling or for a deeper clean to remove odours or soiling we reccomend dry cleaning.
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.