Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1.) What are the cat shelves made of?
The short answer is, Wood. More specifically: ½” 9 ply furniture grade imported Birch wood, ¾” 13 ply furniture grade imported Birch wood and ¾” domestic western Pine wood.
2.) What are the cat boxes made of?
The short answer is, Wood. More specifically: ¾” 13 ply furniture grade imported Birch wood.
3.) How much weight can the cat shelves hold?
When I was installing shelves in the cat rooms at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary a few years ago I stood on the lower shelves in order to reach the higher shelves I was installing. At that time I weighed in at 230#.
I have not found a limit on what the shelves can hold. In all fairness I must add that if both brackets of the shelves are anchored into wall studs, as intended, you too, can place over 200# on the shelves.
If the shelf is not mounted on wall studs but screw anchors set into plasterboard or drywall my guess on the weight is between 60 and 70 pounds.
In 11 years of working with hundreds of these shelves I have never known one to fail to perform for any reason. I occasionally abused them severely to find out where they would fail. To this day I have not found a single one to fail.
4.)Who is this Richard McDonald, anyway?
 
Me in 2007 Me at Best Friends
Cat Dept. (2009) with
Marcus who is about to
get his daily “butt bath”
Born in 1945 in Seattle Washington. Learned furniture making in school from 1957-1963. Graduated from the University of Washington in Creative Writing in 1976. Owned and operated several manufacturing and services businesses before embarking on a career in sales and sales management. Retired from sales in 1998 and joined the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary team in Kanab, Utah to work under the architect, Paul Eckhoff and was assigned to make something for cats to play on in the new cat rooms. We eventually built a woodshop that operated for about 5 years until a new Division Manager closed it. I have been a caregiver at cats for two years though, I now work only 1 or 2 days a week if my schedule permits.
5.) Does the hole in the cat box have to be on top?
No.
The 6-inch hole is normally on the top of the box to allow cats that enter the box to exit or reverse direction of travel by climbing up through the escape hole.
Keep in mind that once cats have entered the box, they must have a way to exit safely. I call this the “pass-through” requirement. Cats must be able to either “pass-through” the box or exit through the hole in the top.
If you place cat shelves or other landing surfaces on each end of the box close enough for the cats to enter and exit (or pass-through) without becoming stuck inside, then there is no need for the hole to be on top and the hole can then be on the front side of the box. Refer to photos on this web site for illustrations of the “pass-through” requirement. Note, that when you see boxes with the holes on the front surface there will be shelves or other wall boxes on either side of the box you are observing.
The hole can be on the front panel of the box rather than on the top if you like- no extra charge. Just let me know.
If you desire the 6-inch hole to be on the topside of the box and an additional hole or holes on the front panel of the box then there will be an additional charge. Contact me on the “contact us” page for quotes.
6.) How much do the shelves and boxes weigh?
The boxes weigh around 13 pounds; the shelves around 4 pounds.
7.) How long will the products you make last?
All of your lifetime. Put them in your will.
Doesn’t it annoy you to pay good money for shelves, cabinets and tables only to get them home and find out that they only look beautiful for a short time, then they begin to fall apart with use. Then you have to find replacements that will only look beautiful for a short before they too, begin to deteriorate from the use of poor materials and poor workmanship. But hey! The marketing was done well. After all you bought it and took it home, and probably had to assemble it your self as well.
My products are built to last. I assemble them. That is the whole story.
8.) Do the shelves have to be used only for cats?
No, these are multi purpose shelves.
When the application you are using the shelves for (such as cat shelves) changes, simply move the shelves into a new location such as an office, shop, kitchen or bedroom to change how the shelves will be used. They are versatile and useful no mater how you press them into service.
9.) I do not have a room to dedicate to my cats; can I still use your shelves and boxes for them?
Absolutely! Many cat lovers do not have an entire room in their home to devote to their cats. Not all who use these shelves and wall boxes are sanctuaries. These shelves and wall boxes can be installed in the kitchen, dining room, living room even your bedroom- where ever you spend the most time in your house or apartment, that is where to put the wall boxes and shelves. The cats want to be where you are. When you are there the cats will come to share your company. You can then, watch them watching you.
As an example, our house is very small; we do not have a room to devote entirely to our 5 cats. We spend most of our time in the dining room, so we have two shelves and one wall box (the starter kit) there. The cats access the lowest shelf by jumping from the arms of the Windsor type chair up to it. They play on the shelves and box while we are sitting in those chairs and they reach down and swat our hair from above us. When we are in the kitchen, which is open to the dining room, we can also watch our cats play and perform. The cats take turns dominating the shelves and box and sharing the space they provide. When we are in the living room watching a movie the cats come and camp around us on the couch and sleep through the movies.
These shelves and boxes can be used in an apartment as well, since you can take them with you if you relocate. An office or workshop offers an equal opportunity for shelves and wall boxes, too.
Don’t miss out on providing clean, non-obtrusive fun for your kitties. Don’t miss out on watching kitty T.V.- that is, your cats playing on their shelves and wall boxes.
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